Second Chance
by IceWrecker
Summary: "Everyone deserves a second chance. Yes, everyone." RJ learnt that philosophy well, and with his adventures onto the Internet, he knew it was time to pass the message on. (MAJOR SPOILERS FOR UNLOCKED AND RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET! ! ! ! ! ! !)
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey guys! I'm back! :D**

 **When I first finished Unlocked, I always thought I'll be able to continue RJ's story through short stories of the little snippets or adventures of his new life, that these stories are enough for continuing his story. It wasn't until I watched the sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet, in late December that it hit me, that I must somehow write a sequel story to Unlocked, to try and write another grand adventure about my characters.**

 **It took a while, since this was never planned, but it was also the only thing that I could think about these few days.**

 **With university starting soon, I might not be able to release my chapters so smoothly. But this time, I'll try my best to avoid my mistake I did last time: I didn't update my story at all from November to May, and didn't say anything about it. So yeah, I'll try not to do it this time.**

 **Also, on another site of mine, I got some questions on how my story fits into the timeline of the WIR canon storyline, so for clarification I'll explain it here. So, after the events in the first movie, about one to two years pass before the events of Unlocked take place. After that, about 4 more years pass until the sequel Ralph Breaks the Internet takes place, _and then_ this story, the very story you're about to read now, takes place. **

**Therefore, I'm gonna go ahead and warn you guys one more time, but THIS STORY CONTAINS MAJOR SPOILERS TO BOTH UNLOCKED AND RALPH BREAKS THE INTERNET. In fact, right off the bat, I'll be talking certain events from the endings of both stories in the very first chapter, so if you haven't read my story or watched the movie yet, then I suggest you to go and familiarize yourself with the events in both of them first before reading this. I really don't wanna spoil anything for anyone, so I'm just gonna put this warning down one more time.**

 **Okay, everyone good?**

 **Good?**

 **Let's start. :)**

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Chapter 1

RJ

I glance up at the calendar hanging on the kitchen wall to look at the date: the 5th of January, 2019.

I shake my head in disbelief, as if I've read the date wrong, but no, the date was indeed correct.

It had been almost four years after my second unlocking.

Four years after I've changed my name to Ralph Jerome.

Four years after I've decided to become a part of Ralph's game, being a semi-villain in gameplay, helping my brother tear and destroy the Nicelanders' building game after game.

Four years after I got a second chance and moved on to my new life, and never looked back…

As I slouch on the table, my body briefly flares up, sparkling a bright green before settling down again. I reach my hand up to my chest and adjusted the stabilizer attached to it, relieving the unstable, powerful Glitch that continuously churned in my code, frequently pulsing though me in the form of flickers.

After my second unlocking, I was completely changed, both on the inside and out. I was no longer Ralph Junior, the clone, but rather Ralph Jerome, a new character who claimed his title as the younger brother of Wreck-it Ralph. I also suffered from severe code damage, and that resulted in the physical alteration in many parts of my body, including the removal of my right leg. But there was one thing that didn't change throughout it all, and that was the fact I was still a Glitch, that I'll forever be a Glitch, and that the Glitch inside me would continue to grow stronger and more violent, to the point I was issued a stabilizer to keep my Glitch from going completely haywire.

As a very unstable Glitch, some characters are sure surprised when they find me wandering around Game Central Station or in other games, all while glitching and flickering like crazy. But then I remind them that although I am still a Glitch, I have also been 'fixed', and by that I'm able to leave my game. When they still don't believe me, I would then tell them that I'm not alone in the arcade with this condition, that a certain cheeky Vanellope von Schweetz from _Sugar Rush_ was also a Glitch, yet was able to hang out with my brother for as long as she wants…

 _Vanellope…_

About a month or two ago, when Ralph indirectly wrecked Vanellope's game by trying to build a new track for her, he felt incredibly guilty about it, and immediately decided to go onto the Internet with her to find a replacement steering wheel part. Of course, because Ralph's choice came too sudden, all the Nicelanders were freaking out, fearing that his absence in the game will cause their game to get unplugged for real. Luckily I was still present, and quickly rose up to my brother's Bad Guy role in gameplay. Sure, I wasn't perfect, I wasn't the best wrecker around, I don't have Ralph's huge fists to aid my destruction, but hey! At least we got through the whole day, and no one suspected a thing!

Surge Protector had been absolutely furious when he heard about Ralph's plan, fuming and planning to give both him and Vanellope a good, hard spanking when they returned. But when we all gathered at the gateway to the Wi-Fi portal a couple of hours later, we only saw Ralph's hulking figure lumbering through it into Game Central Station…alone. I quickly ran up to Ralph, his face blotchy with tears, his beloved medal broken in half, and I realized what had happened out there.

Of the two best friends that had gone on the adventure, one had chosen to stay in the world beyond while one decided to return, parting ways.

It took a while for us to deal with Vanellope's absence. I do realize that it is her choice to stay on the Internet, but that doesn't clear the fact that life will never be the same for Ralph, for me, or for any of us, even. I sure missed the lil' troublemaking Glitch that caused chaos with me after hours, her sassy jokes and nicknames she gave to every one of us—she called me 'StinkFace' for some reason, her laughter ringing out every time she won a race…

I don't think any of us could ever forget Vanellope.

"Hey, you okay, RJ?"

I glance up from the table, and see Ralph at the doorway, his Buzzzy device in his hand. It is clear that he'd just got off from a conversation with Vanellope.

"Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine." I say, getting up "How's Vanny?"

"She's…alright." Ralph replies, leaning against the doorway, sighing "Said that Shank has just taught her how to maneuver backwards more easily, Pyro found some fireworks in an abandoned warehouse and they lit them over the city…Yeah, I know, I know. I kept thinking that she may be in trouble or get hurt, or maybe that she doesn't think I'm her best friend anymore. But…I'm overthinking again, am I, brother?"

"Come on, Ralph. Ya know yer her best friend! 'Tis the truth! She won't trade ya for anyone else! Just look at yer medal!" I walk towards Ralph and put a hand on his shoulder, my slight accent ringing out as I reassure him "I know, change can be hard to deal with, especially when yer forced to part ways with a close friend ya've been with for, like, six years. But she's okay, she's totally okay. I mean, I cannot guarantee it, but ya really need to stop worryin' 'bout her."

"I guess that you're right." Ralph says, sighing again "Maybe I was a bit overprotective of her, too concerned for her safety, too worried what would happen if I ever lost her…"

"Yeah, like how ya treated me, even when I wasn't in trouble." I snort, recalling the times Ralph trashed entire scenes and levels, just because he thought I might have gone a little too far with my pranks.

Ralph narrows his eyes at me, as if not believing what I just said. "Seriously, RJ? You think I'm really gonna believe that?! Since when you're _not_ causing trouble?! Since when?! Remember the last time I wasn't around? You went over to _Sugar Rush_ , and what did you do there? _You made a freaking **bomb**._ If that wasn't trouble enough, then I don't know what is."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I say, holding my hands up in defense "First off, that thing _wasn't_ a bomb. Technically, it was a device that I made out of the Diet Cola and Mentos in Diet Cola Mountain that just happened to be slightly explosive. Besides, it was never intended to hurt anyone, just to surprise them. 'Tis wasn't my fault that _Rancid fella_ somehow thought it would be a good idea to kick the device and set it off. He just got showered in Diet Cola and Mentos shards, yet he acted like _Sugar Rush_ was gettin' unplugged again!"

"RALPH JEROME!"

"WHAT?!" I yell back, backing away from Ralph, "What's the problem?"

Ralph raises his finger, and is about to argue back when he stops himself. He closes his eyes, muttering, then glances up at me again. "Look. Just…don't do it again, alright? I think you pretty much broke the record for pranking in every single game plugged in at least four times, and I don't think characters are gonna like it if you continue your streak. I've gotten a fair number of complaints about you and your pranks recently, and I really don't wanna be too overbearing about it…but yeah, you should really stop."

"Yeah, right. Though ya should know that mischievous spirit is in my system, and 'tis not leavin' anytime soon." I scoff, looking away. I can hear Ralph sighing in the background, so I quickly change the subject. "Shouldn't ya be up-n-goin' now? I thought ya have an activity tonight."

"Yup, Zangief's super-duper boring Book Club." Ralph says, tucking three books under his arm and pocketing his reading glasses. "At least he finally realized that not all of us like those crazy Russian _War and Peace_ literature stuff, and now he's set up a new rule where each week someone brings a new book series into the club. It's my turn tonight."

"Sweet! What's on yer mind?"

Ralph slips one of the books out and shows the cover to me "Suzanne Collins' _The Hunger Games_. A dystopian classic, heard they even made a movie out of it. Can't go wrong with that, right?"

"Pretty good choice to me, brother. Knock 'em dead at the Book Club tonight, but not literally." I laugh, passing the book back to Ralph.

My brother laughs, then turns to the door. "After the Club, I'll be having a big blowout party with my fellow Bad-anon members, so you'll probably won't see me until work tomorrow. So, take care of yourself, find something to do. Just don't get into trouble. Seriously. Okay?"

I give Ralph a thumbs up, "Trust me, I won't."

"Top shelf, I'll see you in the morning." Ralph turns and started leaving, but ducks his head back in at the last second. "Oh, and by the way, you haven't gone anywhere near that Wi-Fi portal, right?"

I shake my head, confused "Well, yeah. Haven't gone anywhere near it, but-"

"Good, and stay out of it. Don't go in there. At least, not now." Ralph interrupts, then he smiles at me "See ya later, RJ."

I wave back at him "See ya." And with that Ralph turns and leaves, closing the door behind him.

With the room plunged into silence once more, I can't help thinking about Ralph's final request to me.

 _"Don't go in there. At least, not now."_

Why would he not want me heading up the Wi-Fi portal now, but thought it would be okay later?

What could it be that Ralph is hiding from me on the Internet, that he doesn't want me to know, to get involved right now?

Was there something Ralph wouldn't want me, his own brother by code, to know?

Instantly, I head over to the fridge, slapped together a few sandwiches and bagged them up. I then head to my room, pull out a drawer, and dig out my spare stabilizer and prosthetic, one of my spare jackets, and my Light Cycle Baton I got from _Tron_ some time ago. I find a backpack and stash all my belongings into it.

I can already tell that it's going to be a long journey for me.

By now the Book Club has already started, and Ralph will not be on the lookout for me. I slip out of our home and quickly dart down to the little train station located in our game. Luckily, the train hasn't left, and I board it just as the train started leaving and heading towards the grand ol' Game Central Station.

I need to know what Ralph is not telling me.

The train jerks to a stop. I get out, and run down the stairs to the gateway to our game. Looking across the station, I quickly locate the Wi-Fi portal near the end of the power strip, its entrance still slightly barred with black-and-yellow warning tape. I glance up and down the station and find Surge Protector currently jotting down something on a game on the opposite side of the strip. Good, the coast is clear.

Quickly, I make a dash towards the portal, glitching to boost my speed if necessary. Every now and then, I will pause, look around, and then continue to run after I've confirmed that no one really was watching. When I neared the portal, I slow down, and walk causally around the entrances of the portal and the gateways of the two games located next to it. I whistle, trying not to catch anyone's attention. Then I glitch once more, and slip inside the Wi-Fi portal.

Once inside, I find myself looking down a dark tunnel, similar to the one I went through when I left my game. Only there is no train here, but a number of strange glowing, floating disks that moved smoothly into the tunnel and beyond. I run and leap onto one of the disks, spreading my arms apart to keep myself from falling as the disk continued its journey down the tunnel, its glow lighting up the dark walls of the power cord.

I continue to travel along the power cord when I see the disks in front start to move upwards, and soon it is my disk's turn. As I ascended, I cock my head, confused. Sure, a power cord with no built-in train is already unusual, but one which slopes upward? That's definitely a first for me: none of the games I've been to have power cords that behaved like this…

Where _does_ this power cord lead to?

Soon, I see the power cord reach its end and get off my disk. When I glance up, I find myself looking in a dimly lit space not really that much brighter than the power cord. _"It must be my eyes."_ I assume, and rub them to see better; only when I reopen them the space was still dimply lit: it wasn't because of my eyes, the space really _was_ dark. I shake my head and walk away from the power cord.

"Hello?" I ask, looking around. The space around me is cavernous, but also very, very empty. The walls are completely dark, the only lighting being from the strange, unfamiliar logos that seemed to be marked upon them. "Hello?" I call again, my echo repeating my question over and over again.

In the center of it all, a platform is mounted, and I go over and stand on it. A green light, glowing ominously, is located just above it. I look around the space again, slowly walking backward towards one of the walls behind me.

If _this_ is the Internet, then I don't really see a reason for Ralph to keep this from me: it's such a boring place! Why _wouldn't_ Ralph want me to go here?

Just then, I feel a slight tingle under my feet, and I look down to see small bits of code, glowing green, rising from the platform I am on. As I watch, more and more bits of code appear and start to wrap around me. I feel an unnatural jerk as my body was forcefully turned so that I was facing the wall behind me, the rotation complete just as the bits of code connected to form a small capsule around me.

From somewhere up above, a voice rambles off something like an address and a string of numbers, and then the wall in front of me opens to reveal a dark tunnel, similar to the ones I traveled on a daily basis. Only this one also doesn't seem to have a built in train track, and its interior seems to be much smaller, tailored for this capsule I'm currently trapped in.

Oh, okay…

…wait.

 _Wait WHAT?!_

I only have time to scream as I feel my capsule being pushed down the tunnel, sending it, and me, streaking towards the unknown darkness on breakneck speed.

 _Oh God, RJ. What **have** you gotten yourself into this time?!_

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 **A/N: I'll be adding a cover for this story soon, so till then, IceWrecker out!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hey there! I'm back with the next chapter. RJ has just accidentally sent himself up and away from the arcade, what will happen next? Read on to find out!**

 **To WolfDragon: Well yeah, RJ does arrive at the Internet sooner or later, but does his _adventure_ really begin? You've have to read on to find out! :)**

 **I'll try and update my story more regularly from now on. I'll see you at the end of this chapter!**

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Chapter 2

RJ

 _"HEY! HEY! SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, IF YA ARE LISTENIN', GET ME OUTA 'TIS THING! NOW! ! ! ! !"_

I yell and bang my hand repeatedly against the inner wall of the capsule, hoping desperately that someone will somehow notice me and my actions, and stop this crazy thing I'm currently trapped in. But no matter how hard I shout, how hard I bang my hand, the capsule continues moving, gliding smoothly down the dark tunnel.

I should have taken my sledgehammer, the one I used specifically during gameplay, along with me for my trip. But then again, I never took it out during my off-hours; so, holding an oversized hammer around the arcade after work would surely raise eyebrows among characters, and would be definite red flag to my brother on what I'm about to do next.

I can't let him know where I'm currently going. Not now, at least.

 _"HEY! GET ME OUT OF HERE! NOW! ! !"_ I call once more, but it is no use: it seems like no one has heard me, and my hands, without Ralph's wrecking powers, are no match for the walls of the capsule. To put it simply: there's no way I'm gonna get out of this capsule on my own.

I sigh and slowly lower my hand, the capsule still travelling as fast as ever down the dark tunnel, transporting me to goodness-knows-where. _"Ralph's gonna kill me, Ralph's gonna kill me…"_ I mutter under my breath as I shoot out of the tunnel into a blinding white space. I yelp and squeeze my eyes shut, not wanting to see what's in store for me.

When I open them again, I gasp.

For I am no longer travelling down a tunnel, or in a blinding white space, but am instead looking over a vast, futuristic city, glowing a sparkling blue, that seems to stretch on endlessly. Row upon row of skyscrapers sweep down below me, all different in shape and size. Some have writing on top of them, some glow with bright lights, some resemble objects like trees or oversized domes. Far below me, I see tiny characters, some walking around, some in fast-moving vehicles, some entering one of the many, many buildings in the city. Looking outside, I see a few similar-sized capsules, all in different colors though, zoom up, down, and all around me. The whole area is teaming with action, energy, and movement, never stopping for a second or more.

I've never seen anything like this before.

Just then, my capsule jerks downward along with a few other capsules, zipping towards the ground at top speed. I yelp in fright and slam my hands tightly against the inner walls of the capsule, surprised that apart from me no one else is screaming at the sudden movement.

Right after that, I start a fast descend into a place similar to the football arena down one of the games back home. Banners hang upon walls, some with writing on them, some depicting various pictures. Everything seems so new; yet at the same time, so familiar…

Soon, my capsule slows to a stop, and then it suddenly vanishes, dropping me onto the ground. My prosthetic leg gives away and I collapse, bottom first. "Ow…" I mutter, reaching down and adjusting my prosthetic as I continue to glance around the world I am in. All around me, the other characters slowly arrive, landing smoothly before silently filing out one of the many exits located around the circular space I am in.

"I don't think I'm in Litwak's anymore…" I say as I stand, turning and looking around. A crowd of characters start walking towards one of the exits, and I follow them to a balcony. There, I gaze over the railing, the very same city which I just flown over spread out under me, still shining as bright as ever.

"Holy Stars…" I mutter, looking around again, my body flickering with excitement.

 _So **this** is the Internet._

As I gaze over the railing, I am absolutely awestruck by everything I see. Sure, I've been to many games which had a futuristic setting, where cities with impossible structures rose from the ground, skyscrapers touched twisted and touched the skies, and characters walked around with shiny devices around their necks. Sure, I've been to those places before, but they're no match to what I am now seeing.

"Wow, where have I've been all 'tis time?" I gasp again, running my hand through my hair, amazed at the fact that I never discovered this place before my arrival.

Looking from such a height, I can finally realize why it took a long time for Ralph to return from the Internet: this world is so big, so vast, it's so easy to get lost in there! I gulp, nervous to see the Internet in all its entirety. No matter where I turn my head, I never manage to see the end of the Internet, even a trace of where this world finishes.

It's gonna take me, like forever, to go and explore every inch of this place…

Wait.

Where _do_ I wanna go?

Out of the corner of my eye, I see a blocky-headed character—a female, judging by the looks of it, come down the same way as I did just now. "Hey!" I call, waving my hands to catch her attention, but she doesn't respond. Instead, she turns and heads straight to a grand-looking structure with tall pillars where a short, purple, egg-shaped character with glasses and a graduation cap is standing behind a counter.

"Hmm…'SearchBar—Powered by KnowsMore'…" I say aloud, reading the words that are plastered upon the structure. I look over at the female character again, and see that she has already reached the structure, where the purple character excitedly hops over to her. Despite the fact she didn't respond to my call, I decide to follow her, and glitch over to the SearchBar.

I reach the counter just as the female character swiped and clicked on one of the pictures appearing on the screen in front of her, and a small car-like pod forms around her. _"Redirecting to_ BuzzzTube _."_ A voice overhead reads out, and the character's pod zips away from the SearchBar, up and away to _BuzzzTube_ I assume. Another character with the same blocky head is in front of me, and the entire process repeats again until he slips away in the same fashion and it is my turn.

The purple character sighs as the character in front of me leaves, but his face brightens as he catches sight of me. "Oh hello, sir!" He looks down and flips a couple of pages on the thick, heavy book in front of him. "It seems like you don't have a search history yet. Well, let's start one up for you. What can KnowsMore help you find today?"

"Um…" I start, tapping my chin, unsure of where I really wanted to go: there's just so much for me to explore!

"Umbrella?" I look down at KnowsMore as he speaks again "Umbrage? Uma?"

"Well…" I start again, but I get cut off again.

"Welcome? Wellbeing? Wellington boots?" KnowsMore asks me excitedly.

"I-" I try to continue, but I'm interrupted a third time.

"iPhone? Ikea? IceWrecker? I love you?"

It seems like this dude's trying to guess my every sentence! I decide to put an end to this.

"Ya know what, Wise-Guy?" I say, leaning and slamming a hand on the counter, narrowing my eyes as I do so, "I'm just…gonna have a look around. Ya know, take a look at everythin', wander here n' there, nothin' special. Just…uh…throw me to a random result, and-"

"Wait a minute!" KnowsMore interrupts, and then he hops up to take a closer look at me. when he does, he gasps, and beckons me to lean closer. "Is this your first time here, sir?"

"Uh…" I trail off, uncertain by how I should reply. But since I remember that he knew that I don't have a previous search history, he's bound to know sooner or later. And so, I nod, "Yup, that's right."

"Isn't that interesting? Now listen: where are you from?" He asks in a hushed voice.

I stumble back a bit, surprised by this somewhat personal question. "Why…do ya wanna know?" I ask, letting the words roll slowly out.

"Just to be on the safe side, sir." Knowsmore replies. "You know, it's because you look kinda…familiar."

"But I just said that 'tis is my first time here! Ya asked it yerself!" I hurl back. Unbelievable! Does this guy think I'm stupid or what?!

"Calm down, calm down." KnowsMore backs slightly away from me, as if afraid of what I might do to him next. "I just said that I thought you looked familiar, but that doesn't mean that I've seen you before. Not to mention that I really _haven't_ seen you before."

"Fair enough." I mutter, scowling. Maybe I shouldn't have followed that female character to this place: the Internet's so big, there's bound to be another place that I can find where I want to go! There's bound to be!

KnowsMore looks up at me with expectation, so I quickly give him what he really wanted. "Uh…Litwak's Family Fun Center, Los Aburridos, California, I believe?" I try to recall: I can't really remember the exact state where my arcade is in.

"That's enough." KnowsMore says, tapping his chin "And, no. Oh my…You're not…you're not actually related to him…"

"To whom?"

KnowsMore is whispering now. "You're not in any way…related to a certain… _Wreck-it Ralph_ , right?" He inquires me.

My eyes widen. "How?" I gawk out "How…how did ya know?!"

"Your hair, your facial features, your scowl: they all give it away. Your home address further confirms it." KnowsMore says, pointing "I tend to be quite observational when it comes to my customers, not to mention he's an actual customer of mine." He looks up at me, my mouth still gaping open, and then continues "You're really related to him, right?"

"Yeah, he's my older brother." I say. Technically, he is my original that was somehow kind enough to adopt his recolored, glitchy clone to be his official brother, but I'd thought it'll be better if I spared the details.

"Oh really? Pleasure to meet his younger brother." KnowsMore pips up excitedly, reaching out his hand, in which I shake back in return "I'd thought that Ralph would come along with you for the ride here, but I guess that it's pretty normal that he's not coming back here yet. After all, it hasn't been long since that particular _incident_ happened…"

"Wait. What…what incident?" I ask, releasing my hand.

This time it is KnowsMore's jaw that is hanging open. "You mean he didn't tell you? He didn't?"

"Um, sir, what are ya talkin' 'bout?" I ask, really confused. None of this makes sense, none of it!

"Don't you know what happened the last time when Wreck-it Ralph came onto the Internet? Didn't he tell you?" He asks me, his voice slightly laced with sympathy.

I rack my head for memories, and then shake my head. _Nope, he hadn't._

It is true: apart from the fact that Ralph went onto the Internet with Vanellope and successfully returned with a replacement wheel for _Sugar Rush_ , and that Vanellope decided not to return to the arcade, Ralph really haven't told me anything about his trip. Every time I tried to enquire him about certain events related to his journey, he just shrugged it off and changed the subject, even avoiding me at times because of this topic…

As if there really _was_ something he really wasn't ready to tell me about.

"He very nearly broke the Internet: literally." KnowsMore finishes, looking up at me.

 _What?!_

"Come on." I say, not believing what KnowsMore just said, "Ralph's a wrecker, he's got that superhuman strength, that I know for sure. But 'tis world…'tis world is so big, so vast. It goes on and on and on for, like, forever. He's just one guy, how could he able to accomplish 'tis?"

"I know you won't believe me, but it is true: I've experienced it myself. And if you still don't believe me, here, I'll search it for you." KnowsMore clears his throat, and then reads out a search enquiry " _'Wreck-it Ralph Virus Internet Crash'_."

" _Pffft._ " I scoff, rolling my eyes "Now yer definitely makin' _that_ up. There's no way my brother would…" I trail off, as KnowsMore is now pointing to the screen in front of me, where a 'SEARCH' button is hovering. Hesitantly, I place my hand upon the button, and KnowsMore jerks up in front of me. I gasp and quickly withdraw my hand, concerned as what is happening to him. But a moment later, he quickly settles down, his cap slightly disheveled.

"It's okay, sir, happens all the time" He reassures me as he tips his cap back to its original place. Then he brushes up his shirt and reads out in a formal tone. "I've found over 300 results for _'Wreck-it Ralph Virus Internet Crash'_." He waves his hand at the screen in front of me as the results start to appear.

Wait…

 _Wait what?!_

"Ya mean…ya mean that this so-called 'Internet Crash' really happened? It really did?" I run a hand through my hair in disbelief, not believing the search results that continuously pop up in front of me.

"Well, the truth speaks for itself, right sir?" KnowsMore asks me back.

"So 'tis _is_ true…" I mutter, going over the search results myself. I run my hand over the screen, flipping over the pictures and looking at all the results that popped up. Most of them are from wiki sites and news pages, appearing in languages that I cannot decipher. They keep on coming, on and on, appearing even after I swiped most of the first results away.

"I don't…I don't understand." I stammer, looking up at KnowsMore with uncertainty. "What…what happened? What did Ralph do?"

"I think you might want to find that out yourself; you're his younger brother, right?" KnowsMore replies, waving his hands at the screen again, "Oh, and by the way, sir. I think you might want to pull up your hood. Better not to draw attention because of your background."

"Got it." I say, reaching back and pulling my jacket hood up over my head, feeling my hair tickling roughly against my face before turning back to the search results. One of them catches my eye, and I peer closer at it. It seems to be leading me to a local news website. _Hmm, that seems trustworthy enough…_ I think, clicking on it.

Immediately after I do so, a pod, the same one that the female character left with earlier, forms around me. _"Redirecting to_ WeeklyNews _."_ A voice reads up from above me, and I know that my pod will be leaving the SearchBar soon.

I wave my hand back at KnowsMore, just as my pod starts to pull away from the grand structure, sending me up and away towards my desired webpage, and hopefully, my answers to my burning questions.

 _What **did** you do, Ralph? What **DID** you do?!_

* * *

 **A/N: Okay, so those of you observant in the story, will realize something...familiar in KnowsMore's search results.**

 **Yup, I just did a self-insert for fun. XD**

 **For those of you don't get it, look at my username, and then at the search results again. You'll know it when you see it...**

 **Till then, Ariel out! :D**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys! School's starting soon, so I thought I'd better get this done before everything crashes down. XD**

 **This is, actually, one of the hardest chapters in Second Chance. Yup, I'm saying this even when I've only reached chapter 3. This is because in this very chapter, I will be introducing a game-changer. That is, so far, none of my readers have predicted what will happen in this chapter. But right after this, it'll be clearly obvious what my main objective is in this story, even the title Second Chance starts to make sense. So yeah, a lot of effort went into writing this.**

 **This chapter turned out to be much, much longer than I expected, so I hope you guys will still enjoy it! Till then, IceWrecker out! :D**

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Chapter 3

RJ

My pod takes me up and away, and soon I am surrounded by a vast number of similar pods, all with a blocky-headed character seating inside it. I rush along the busy road, passing yet more shining buildings.

Now that I'm on ground level, I'm able to see the city and its citizens more clearly. As I continue to blaze down the track, I can see the words plastered on the outer walls of the buildings much more clearly, and I start to read them aloud.

" _Yahoo_ … _YouTube_ … _Dance Diva Party_ … _Slaughter Race_ …wait, _Slaughter Race_?!"

I whip my head back to get a closer look at the building: a towering site with fire columns that burned menacingly by its sides. The building has a glowing sign on it, and sure enough, the words ' _Slaughter Race_ ' scream out at me.

Wasn't that the game Vanellope chose to stay on the Internet?

Was her departure one of the reasons Ralph caused the Crash?

Was it?

"Oh Ralph, what did ya do?" I ask again, as if my brother is right next to me. "Why did ya break the Internet? Was it partly because of Vanny leavin' ya for _Slaughter Race_?"

I have to know, I have to know everything Ralph is hiding from me.

Suddenly, my pod changes lanes sharply, and I grip onto my seat tightly. The lane change is swiftly followed by a right turn, and then yet another right turn, detaching me from the main lane. I look behind me, seeing that only a handful of pods are going down the same way as I'm going. I wonder if they're also interested in finding out what happened in the Crash.

I feel my pod start to decrease in speed, and I turn my head back forward to see a tall modern building with huge floor-to-ceiling glass walls loom up in front of me. The words 'WeeklyNews' on one of the walls confirms that I've reached my destination. My pod glides to a stop just in front of the website and then vanishes, dumping me onto the floor.

I gotta get used to these disappearing vehicles soon on the Internet.

Around me, other pods are also slowing down, the blocky-headed characters all filing out and into the building. I quickly pick myself up and follow them into _WeeklyNews_.

As soon I got into the lobby, an Announcement Board, as tall as the building itself, greets us. I try to read what is on it, but it's not proving easy, since every now and then a new entry would appear on the bottom of the screen and push the rest of the entries upwards, shifting every so often. In front of the Board, I see several counters, each with a character of a certain color sitting behind it, assisting a blocky-headed character. After a few seconds, the blocky-headed character is guided on another, trackless, hovering vehicle further into the website. I tug on my hood and get into line, waiting patiently until it is my turn at the counter.

"So, based on your search," The character behind the counter inquires me "you wanted to know about the _Wreck-it Ralph Virus Internet Crash_ , right sir?"

I nod.

She presses a button on her counter, and instantly a similar hovering vehicle appears right under my feet. "Whoa!" I yelp, flailing my arms to keep my balance. Just a moment later, my vehicle zooms away from the counters and keep into the website, turning several corners until a reach a rather large room with a huge board that reached the ceiling. The board contains a lot of words, neatly packed into paragraphs along with a few pictures. The headline on the top screams: _Mysterious virus based on Wreck-it Ralph causes the biggest global Internet Crash ever_.

There it is: I've found it.

Remembering what the vehicles on the Internet would do once they reached their destination, I immediately hop off it onto the ground. It was a good thing that I did so, as the vehicle really did vanish just a moment later.

I step closer to the board, and hungrily scan the article on it, desperately looking for answers.

 _On the 21st November, Internet users experienced what experts call 'The Biggest Internet Crash' ever, caused by a fast-moving and destructive virus. The virus, named after 80s video game Bad Guy Wreck-it Ralph, clogged up servers of various websites across the globe, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Spanning over 4 hours, users caught in the virus experienced a denial of access, locking their access out of the Internet completely. Computer experts specialized in viruses claim that this particular virus attack was not like any other, for it was not targeted at a specific website, nor was it used by hackers to retrieve any information. Rather, it was a coordinated attack on all the servers. However, up until the end of the Crash,_ WeeklyNews _has not received information of any computer agencies worldwide locating the initial source of the virus, nor can they explain the sudden disappearance of the virus hours later after the inital attack._

There is a picture located next to the article, showing someone's computer screen, completely covered with a certain character's 8-bit face.

It takes me just a second to 'wreck-ognize' that familiar face.

The article ends here, there is no more for me to read. I look and see a couple of the same blocky-headed characters beside me, glancing up at the exact same article. "Hey, psst!" I call in a hushed voice "Ya have any idea what happened there, about the Crash?"

None of them respond.

"So…do ya know anythin' 'bout it?" I ask again.

Again, no response. Then to my dismay, some of them start to leave, as if they did not care a _thing_ to what I am asking! Unbelievable! Are they deaf or super rude of what?!

"What? What 'tis wrong with ya guys?!" I yell, trying to get back their attention "Look, I know ya have yer thing to do, but that doesn't mean ya guys need to ignore me entirely! C'mon! What 'tis up with ya?!"

"Sir, no need to ask: they can't hear you. At least, not in the way you're expecting them to."

I turn my head back, only to see a blue, smartly-dressed man standing here, clutching some papers in his hand.

"What…do ya mean, they can't hear me?" I ask, confused.

The character steps forward to me "Those blocky-headed characters, they are called 'avatars', and they represent the human Internet users. You see, when the human users log onto the Internet, the avatars take care of all the business. But even if they're standing next to each other like you see here, they won't know that there are others also seeing the article on the Announcement Board here. They just see the article on the screen, but not the avatars or netizens standing next to them. You're nothing like an avatar, but I guess the same applies to you. You…get what I mean?"

"Uh…yeah, I guess." I mutter, suddenly feeling kinda lonely hearing this realization.

The character steps towards me, "It's your first time here, right?" He asks in a sympathetic voice.

Dejected, I nod, sighing.

"I kinda guessed it. Yeah, it's something you need to get used to. Oh, and by the way, I'm Newton." The character holds out his free hand, and I shake it. "What's yours?"

"I'm…" I start, but then I remember KnowsMore's instructions, that I should always maintain a low profile while I'm still on the Internet. "Um…Sorry." I stammer "But my name's classified."

"That's okay." Newton responds, his face unfazed. "Lots of users around here don't really like giving away their names: you're not the only one here."

I breathe out a sigh of relief, then I turn back to the board. "So, what happened?" I ask Newton. "What really happened in the Crash?"

The character sighs and glances down slightly at his papers. "Well…as you saw in the article, the Wreck-it Ralph Virus launched a huge service attack on the entire Internet, taking down almost every website, including ours." He waves his hand around for emphasis.

"But what really happened?" I butt in. "What happened here? How did that single virus manage to do such a feat?"

Newton doesn't respond. Instead, he swiftly jerks his head from side to side, as if trying to see that there's nobody watching us. He then turns to me in a lowered voice. "Follow me." He instructs, and walks away deeper into the website.

Quickly, I run to catch up to him. "Is…somethin' wrong?" I ask, slightly confused by the sudden change in tone of his voice and actions. "Did I ask for somethin' that I wasn't supposed to know?"

"Oh, no, no. You're not in trouble." Newton reassures me, patting my shoulder. "It's just that…what you're about to see is stuff that isn't allowed to be seen by the human users."

"Wait. So yer sayin' 'tis…those stuff I've just seen outside, the human users can also see. But now there are stuff that…they somehow cannot see?" I ask, getting more and more confused by the second.

"Precisely." Newton takes a card out of his pocket and slides it into a tiny slot. The door in front of us soundlessly opens, revealing more characters like Newton, and also some that somehow slightly resembled my more human-like build.

"I'm sorry. Ya've lost me there." I glitch and reappear in front of Newton, preventing him to moving forward. "I need an explanation. Why isn't the stuff yer that about to show me cannot be seen by the human users?"

Newton sighs deeply. "For a first-timer here, you sure are really curious about everything. Okay, I'll try and explain everything to you. So, basically, the world that we're in, the Internet, it doesn't look the same way to the human users. To us, we might see giant buildings, netizens like me working hard, avatars doing whatever their human users want them to do. But to the human users…well. They don't see our world the vibrant way it really is. They don't see the buildings, they don't see the pod-covered streets, they are not able to see some of us, even!"

"So, what _do_ they see?" I pip, curious.

"Ah, something much simpler. A simple page, probably with lots of words, sometimes with a picture or two, and that's pretty much it. They don't see us; they probably don't even know how we look like!"

"Oh my God! That's…that's horrible!" I gasp.

Newton looks up at me "Well, it's better if they don't know about this world. The less they know about here, the better. Maybe it's because we're seeing it in this direction that we think they're missing much, but it might not be the case to the human users."

I think about that for a moment, then I nod my head "I guess…yeah, it suddenly makes sense when ya say it like that."

"Glad you thought of it that way. Oh, there it is!" Newton pauses to pull out a large digital pad. He presses it a few times, and then hands it out to me. "You say you want to know more the Crash, you ask?"

"Oh yes, yes!" I reply, relieved that I'm finally getting some more information regarding the incident.

The netizen passes the pad to me. "This is a video footage taken from one of our security cameras when the virus hit our website. Remember, the users only see a denial of access, but to us…well…" He beckons me to hit the 'start' button in the middle of the screen. "See for yourself."

Gently, I take the pad from his hands and press 'play'.

On the screen, I see the lobby where I entered in the first place. Only now everyone, both avatars and netizens, are running away from the glass wall and deeper into the website. "THEY'RE COMING!" Someone, I'm not sure whom, screams.

 _Who's 'they'?_ I wonder.

I get my answer two seconds later.

 _CRASH!_ An earsplitting sound echoes throughout the website as three figures smash through the wall into the lobby. The wall is broken much further as more and more similar figures rush into _WeeklyNews_. One of the figures lets out a low growl, and with its large bare hands, tears apart the Announcement Board in milliseconds. The others start to trash up the place, ripping up floorboards and tossing scraps of the broken counters and walls aside.

Wait a minute…

Those…figures…

 _Why do they all look so familiar?_

Then it hits me: hard.

 _I am seeing dozens, and I mean **dozens** , of carbon-copies of my brother, Wreck-it Ralph._

Some of the clones start to come near the camera, and I realize that they are not exact copies of my brother. Sure, they have Ralph's build, his strength, his angry expression; yet they all seem a bit…off. Their dark, crazed, soulless eyes; their reddened skin, their constant moaning of the word ' _Friend_ '… Like, this is _not_ Ralph; this is a seriously crazy, messed up version of him that has somehow made copies of itself and started a wrecking rampage across the Internet.

But…where did those things come from? They named the virus after my brother, so Ralph _must_ be involved somehow; but…how?

The screams continue in the distance as more and more Ralph clones pour into the website, wreaking more havoc on the already badly-damaged website. Strangely, they sometimes pause to pull up a board off the floor or look behind fallen objects, rummaging whatever happens to be hidden behind them…

As if they all seem to be looking for something, but what?

Suddenly, one of the Ralph clones sees the camera and lumbers quickly to it. It pops its head up in front of the lens, its soulless eyes glaring straight into the camera. It lets out a low, inhumanly growl before ripping the camera off, tearing the wires out and breaking the camera, ending the video.

"Yikes." I mutter, my code buzzing hard. I continue staring at the blank screen for a few seconds, stunned, before passing the pad back to Newton. "That…was scary."

"It was _beyond_ scary, I tell you that." Newton says, accepting the pad. "The clones, they destroyed everything. They tore up every wall, smashed every obstacle, and threw everyone that happened to be in their path. There was nothing we could do to stop them. We had to go into hiding, but not all of us escaped without a scratch."

"What kind of virus would do such a terrible thing?" I ask. _This is it, this might be the moment that I find out where my brother got into this mess._

"Well…Hey, Porter! You got any info of where the clones came from?" Newton calls to a green netizen just right across him.

"Um…yeah, I guess." The netizen, Porter replies. "This is a rumor, but it was said that an Insecurity Virus duplicated a certain _Wreck-it Ralph_ 's…uh…features and sent them all over the Internet. That's what I heard from anyway, I have no idea where the virus found that character from, though."

"That's what I heard from other sites too; glad to see we've got the same information. Anyway, happy to say they eventually retreated from our site, every last one of them. Good riddance." Newton says with a slight frown.

"Wait…so they just… _left_?!" I ask in disbelief "They just left? They didn't get destroyed or anythin'?"

"That, my dear friend, unfortunately we don't know." Newton says. "Many sites also received damage from the clones, but almost all of them report that they left moments later. Some of us got reports that somewhere else on Internet, the clones somehow managed to group together to form a massive form of itself and continue their destruction. But unfortunately, most of us had gone into hiding at that moment so none of us here saw such a thing; we don't know for certain if that… _thing_ really existed."

I am breathing hard now. I cannot believe a word that I am hearing. My brother really _did_ start the Internet Crash…and he did much more damage than I thought.

Maybe I really shouldn't have gone to the Internet after all.

"So…what happened then?" I ask.

Newton raises an eyebrow. "Hey man, why are you so interested in this Crash anyway? Is there anything you know that I don't?"

I let out a small gasp, but I suck it back quickly before he notices. _Conceal, don't feel! Don't let him know! Don't let him know that I'm Wreck-it Ralph's younger brother! Don't let him know!_ _Don't let him know!_ "Um, nothin', nothin' much. I'm just curious, that's all."

Luckily, Newton doesn't really seem to notice. "Well, unfortunately, that's all the information I can give you here. We don't know everything, to be honest. But listen, since the Crash happened almost everywhere on the Internet, why don't you head on over to other websites to see if there's some information that we don't have here?"

"So…yer sayin'…" I say slowly "that if I wanna know more 'bout how 'tis incident happened…then I should head to other sites to know more?"

"Yup." Newton nods back at me. "Seems a bit time-consuming, to be honest, but sometimes it's better to search up tons of different results and look at the event from the big picture. I mean, who knows? Maybe another site will show another point of view about the same Crash, but you'll find information that's different from what we've have here."

"Oh, I've got all the time in the world, I'll definitely be scurryin' 'round to know what happened!" I decide.

"That's the spirit, sir!" Newton beams up at me as he leads me back out into the lobby. "I really hope that you could find what you're looking for."

"Oh! And speakin' of which," I quickly jump in "'Tis there another useful search site that I could, ya know, find more information? I mean, there's no way I'm gettin' grilled by that purple egg again." I say, crossing my arms in slight disgust. I'll be clear here: KnowsMore was nice and helpful, but if he's one of the few characters that knew Ralph, and was able to link a connection between me and him…

"If you want, _Google_ 's down this way." Newton says, waving his hand "It's search webpage, and a pretty large one too. It's the tall building with colorful blocks floating around and a huge capital 'G' on it. Go straight down and you'll see it. It's kinda hard to miss."

"Great, thanks." I call as I run out of _WeeklyNews_ , anxious to find more answers.

* * *

For the next couple of hours, I jumped from website to website, from search entry to search entry, from article to article. Although every time I searched up the Crash, a plethora of results would swarm out at me, I was able to narrow them down to the crucial bits of info that I really needed, the ones that really wanted to know.

The ones related to my brother in the incident.

I look up at the article board of the site I am currently in. It is not the one as big as the one in _WeeklyNews_ , but still big nonetheless, showing me more information about the same Crash.

Most of the websites I'd been to are news websites, but I also went to some blog posts or some social media pages to find what I'm looking for. Every time I got to those websites and ask the netizens in charge for some insider information, they've raised eyebrows at me, but quickly gave me what I needed once they realized that I wasn't an avatar. I've even talked to some of the netizens who are not running the aforementioned websites themselves, but are witnesses of the Crash that are willing to tell me what happened to them.

This is my twelfth website already. So far, from what I've gathered, I'm able to have a slight image of what happened in the Crash. So, I believe, the Insecurity Virus originated in _Slaughter Race_ , and somehow managed to copy my brother's flaws and insecurities, distributing them all over the Internet. My brother's insecurities came in the form of messed-up clones of himself, and they began to tear the Internet apart on a massive scale, crashing down almost every single one of the websites. But what's really interesting is that all of a sudden, without warning, all the clones went out of their respective websites almost at the same time, chasing a hovering car zooming across the Internet on a beeline to the Anti-Virus District. However, whatever intention the characters in the hovering car had in mind, it was clear that they had failed, for the clones had somehow managed to gather together to form an enormous and terrifying version of Ralph, towering over many of the city's skyscrapers. As a untied form, the clones continued their destruction, before suddenly heading up the Google site and sitting at the very top. No one could tell me what happened upon there afterwards, but after a moment, one by one the clones began to glow and vanish, disappearing from the Internet and ending the Crash for good.

After all the website-hopping, I am very tired, but still I think I don't have enough information, enough to find my answers to what Ralph did in the Crash. For example, I still don't know how the virus managed to find Ralph, who was in the hovering car at that crucial moment, what made the virus clones vanish all of a sudden.

 _I want more._

I glance up at the board again, and heave out a loud sigh.

"Oh, Ralph, what **did** ya do?" I ask under my breath once more, even though I know I won't get any answers from my question "Why did 'tis happen? What made ya produce all those clones? What made them destroy the Internet? What made them do that?"

I sigh again and look down at the floor. My stomach grumbles, and I realize that I have been so caught up in my pursuit for answers, that I haven't eaten anything in the last few hours. I carefully unzip my bag and pull out my sandwiches, considerably crushed from the rather violent swings from my pack when I ran from webpage to webpage. I take one out and bite into it hungrily, but that one sandwich isn't enough to fulfill my current hunger, both on a physical and mental level…

 _"I just wished ya would just tell me everythin'…"_ I mutter, my mouth full.

Suddenly, a strong gust of wind rushes into the website, blowing my hood off and knocking my sandwich bag out of my hand. Instantaneously, I pull the hood back over my head, whipping around to see if that single motion was enough for anyone to see me, to recognize me, to land me in trouble…

The website is silent; all the avatars are still focused on their current actions, the website's netizens still helping the avatars if necessary. Good, no one has taken notice of me. I'm still safe…for now.

With that issue solved, I turn around and look for my bag, my remaining sandwiches still inside it. There! I see it, lying limply in the dark corner, just a few paces from where I'm at. I sprint over there, my hand outstretched, about to grab the bag back…

…when I see a hand quickly reach out and snatch the bag off the ground.

It all happened very suddenly, too sudden. So sudden that I just stand there, stunned, not knowing what I should do next.

Then I hear them:

Footsteps.

Faint but definite footsteps, slowly fading into the distance. I turn around, just in time to see a shadowy figure running away from the site, my sandwich bag in its clutched hand.

"HEY!" I yell, giving chase after the figure. "GIVE ME MY BAG BACK! THOSE ARE _MY_ SANDWICHES, NOT YERS!"

The figure didn't stop, leaping nimbly over railings and speeding down alleys without a sound. Immediately, I place my hand on my stabilizer and loosen it, fully unlocking my Glitching powers. I continue to give chase, teleporting forward if necessary, but still it is no match for the shadowy figure.

The site has long gone behind me, and I turn down yet another dark alley around the corner when the road abruptly stops in front of me, a series of railings barring me from moving forward. Unable to stop, I crash into the railing, my arms breaking up into millions of pixels upon contact.

Panting hard, I rest upon the railing as my arms return to normal, then I peer closer at what it that prevented me from advancing is. Indeed, the pathway ends right beyond the railing, and there is nothing but darkness dark below. At least, I _think_ there is nothing but darkness: the light from the surrounding buildings is not enough to light out the place for me to see clearly.

I look around, confused at where the figure might have gone. Unless it leapt from the railing like it did in the chase earlier, there's no way it can go. There's really no way to go, unless one counts the metallic rungs of a ladder hidden just below the sidewalk, hidden just out of sight of me…

Oh.

Slowly, I walk towards the ladder and make my way down, carefully making sure my prosthetic is on a step every time I descend. It is a long way down, way longer than I expected, but very soon, I feel both my feet reach solid ground again. I dust off my pants and look up.

It is much darker than what I imagined earlier.

As soon as my eyes got used to the darkness, I start to make sense of what I'm seeing down there. Everywhere, fallen objects littered all around me, dusty signs and cardboard-like objects propped upon the darkened walls. I am so deep down below, that the bright lights from the shining Internet city above had become so faint that they just barely manage to light up some of the darkness.

 _What **is** this place?!_

My left foot gets caught on a stray piece of garbage, and I stumble. It is then I remember why I came down to this dark place.

I turn and look around, and look around again, trying to find where the figure had gone, where it had taken my stolen stuff to.

I walk further down into the darkness, guided by my senses and the faint lights. It is then I hear a rustling sound just to my right. I quickly glance in that direction.

There it is.

The shadowy figure, the one who stole my sandwiches without making a sound. It has now sat down in one of the corners, its body hunched over something.

"Hey!" I call, annoyed, trying to get the figure's attention.

The figure doesn't respond.

"HEY!" I yell again, waving my hands wildly "YA DEAF OR WHAT?!"

Still the figure doesn't respond. It might be my imagination, but I see the figure shrinking a bit at my call, slowly backing away from me, as if it's trying to escape…

Oh no, I'm _not_ letting it get away so easily, oh no I'm not. "What? Ya chicken? Done somethin' ya know 'tis wrong?" I taunt, stepping forward. "Listen: I'm not lettin' ya go 'til ya answer my questions. Ya hear that, ya thief, ya hear that?"

I can see the figure's dark silhouette shrink back further, as if it's trying to avoid my questions. And I'm sure if I'm seeing right, but it appears that it's…trembling…with fear?!

 _Pfft, what a faker._

"Ha ha, very funny. Tryin' to play guilty, right?" I step forward again "Yer not foolin' me so easily. Now, let's be serious: I want answers. Why did ya steal those sandwiches from me?"

The silhouette shakes its head, refusing to utter a word.

"Why did ya do that?" I ask again.

No response.

"Yer just wastin' my time, I don't even know why I'm down here with ya." I mutter, tapping my real foot impatiently on the ground. I then look back up at the figure, as if waiting for it to respond.

It doesn't.

I let out a low growl. Who does the figure think it is? Someone important? If that _is_ the case, then it wouldn't have to steal stuff from me in the first place!

I have been given the cold shoulder once already; I'm not accepting another individual's rude response to me. With that kind of attitude, it's practically begging me to use the nuclear option on it, and so I oblige.

I dig through my bag and pull out the emergency flashlight that I always had in my pack. I turn it on, a bright ray of light shining through the darkness. The figure's gonna greatly regret what I'm about to do to it, but what choice do I have? And plus, it is begging me to do that to it, right?

With one swift motion, I jerk my hand up, casting the beam at the figure, bathing it in light.

"ANSWER, YA IDIOT!" I scream. As my light hits the figure, it yelps and holds its enormous hands over its face, shielding my light entirely.

Wait a minute…

Those hands…

Those _freakishly large_ hands…

I've seen them before…

"Okay…Alright…Get it together." I suck in my breath tightly before continuing "Slowly…lower…yer hands." I say slowly, trying to regain the sternness I had just a few seconds earlier.

Very, very slowly, the figure lowers its huge hands, revealing its face completely.

When I see the face, I gasp, my voice echoing around the dark place. All of a sudden, my head starts to spin and my vision blurs up, as if I am not believing at what I am seeing right now…

 _CLANG!_ The sound snaps me to my senses, and it is only at that moment that I realize my hands have been trembling, and that my flashlight is no longer in my grasp, clattering nosily to the ground. The light is no longer focused on the figure, but that one single glance was enough for me to realize that face and link it to a certain someone.

 _No…_

 _No…no, this can't be true, it can't be!_

Without warning, both of my legs give away, and I crumble onto the floor in a tangled heap. I glance up at the figure again, and start to crawl back rapidly, my voice raspy from gasping. I don't care, I don't care: I have to get away as far away from the figure as possible! I must!

I try to speak, but my voice changes to a high-pitched, terrified squawk as I recognize the character in front of me, who he is…

 _No!_

 _You can't be him! You can't be him! You can't be…_

 ** _"RALPH?!"_**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Okay guys. That...was surprising, right?**

 **Some of you have already guessed what had really happened in the end of Chapter 3 here, but for those who are still not sure of what happened, this chapter will definitely be clearer on how this story will go.**

 **This chapter was quite a surprise to me as well: despite school starting, I've finished everything in three days. I've never thought I'll be able to get this up this fast, yet here I am with Chapter 4. Yes, I had said on DA that I would finish my Wreck-it Bloopers first before continuing this, but it looks like that will not be the case...**

 **Oh well, hope you enjoy the new chapter! Till then, IceWrecker out! :D**

* * *

Chapter 4

RJ

As soon as he hears his name, Ralph yelps and shrinks back further into the shadows, trembling harder than ever. I myself am shaking with fright as well, unable to believe a thing I am seeing.

What is Ralph doing here? Why is my brother on the Internet? Wasn't he supposed to be back in the arcade? Didn't he have an event to attend? And apart from that, why did he go and steal stuff from me? Ralph could have just asked, and I would have happily given what he needed! There's no need for him to steal from me suddenly! What is wrong with him?!

As soon as I got over my initial shock, I swish my hand around, trying to feel my fallen flashlight that had somehow clicked itself off when it clattered to the ground. My hand hits against something hard and metallic: there! I've found it. Immediately, I flick it back on, then carefully lift myself off the ground, trying to calm myself down for what I am facing here.

 _Oh God. Ralph somehow, **somehow** knows where I am, and he's here to chew me out. But…why did he need to do all the unnecessary drama? Why did he need to go and steal those sandwiches from me in order to lead me down here? Why?!_

"Ralph, what are ya doin' here?!" I ask, my voice betraying my fearful emotions. "Didn't ya had a book club to go? No, wait, cross that out: the meetin' finished hours ago." I quickly correct myself. "But didn't ya say that some buddies over Bad-anon invited ya to party somewhere else? Why are ya here, then? Why are ya here?"

My brother stops shaking in terror, but is instead looking at me with confusion, as if he's trying to understand what I'm saying.

"Yer friends! They're all waitin' for ya! Ya shouldn't be here!" I say again, "Shouldn't ya be back at Litwak's?!"

Ralph looks at me again, his face still confused as ever. With his large hands, I can faintly see that he's trying to make some movement with them, waving them around in strange gestures, gestures that I don't understand. Throughout it all, Ralph tries to keep a considerable distance from me, as if he doesn't want me to come over to him.

As if he's somewhat fearful of me…

That's strange.

Ralph shouldn't be afraid of me.

I'm his brother, for almost four years now! Yes, back in the beginning Ralph _was_ a bit cautious of my crazy, unstoppable Glitch, but still he faced it and helped me make the most out of it as possible, and that was all so long ago! Why should Ralph fear me if there's really nothing to be fearful about? Why should he?

"Ralph, I don't understand!" I say, starting to get as confused as he is "I don't understand why ya know I am here on the Internet! Why ya would find me here! Could ya just answer me?"

Ralph shakes his head again, still refusing to answer. What is wrong with my brother? What is wrong with him? By now he would have started firing questions at me, asking what on earth I had done to get into trouble. There would be absolutely no hesitation in his actions, no sliver of doubt when he questions me.

If he's not here to spy on me, or to chew me out, then why is he here? What's the reason?

"Answer me, Ralph!" I demand. "Why are ya here?" I jerk my flashlight up again, aiming it at my brother, trying to see what was it that made him unable to answer me.

That's when I see it.

His hands, and possibly the rest of his skin, are much, much redder than Ralph's.

I gasp, then I turn to glance at his face. I know that face belongs to Ralph, yet I have a feeling that there is something on that face that is different from what it should be…

Without my flashlight, without any light at all, I cannot make total sense of what is happening before me, what I'm experiencing is true or not.

But now with my light, cutting through the darkness like a shining beacon, I can see everything clearly…

And it is definitely _not_ what I have thought.

Instead of my brother warm brown eyes that sparkle with joy when he smiles, I find myself staring into two dark, possibly black, orbs, soulless and haunting.

 _Those darkened eyes…_

 _That reddened skin…_

 _Oh no._

My head jerks back unnaturally as a memory hits me, a recent one, too. There! On Newton's video, and on several insider photos; those features appear again and again on the sources, hundreds if not thousands of them, their faces blared with crazed anger…

As the clones that bore those features tore down the Internet city in unison with their bare hands…

 _Oh God._

 _Oh my God._

 _This isn't Ralph._

 _This isn't my brother._

I turn to the figure again, and in the bright glare of the flashlight the truth screams out at me.

 _This is not Ralph I'm looking at._

 _This is one of his viral clones._

 _It's one of his clones, not Ralph!_

As soon I realize the truth, I breathe out a slight sigh of relief. _This isn't Ralph. Oh God, this isn't Ralph. He doesn't know, he doesn't know that I'm on the Internet. Oh, thank goodness he doesn't know, he doesn't know!_ Tugging my hood back, I let out a small grin, glad that I wasn't in trouble yet.

Then I remember why I got myself into this dark place, and when I see the reason sitting there in the corner, my face scrunches back into a scowl.

 _"Yer not Ralph."_ I spit, my voice slightly laced with disgust.

The clone cocks its head, as if it didn't get what I just said.

"Yer not Ralph." I say again, louder this time.

The clone squeals, landing on its back in a frenzy, shaking with fear. It starts to crawl backwards, avoiding my light and me.

Fuming, I walk towards the clone, my code broiling with anger. "Ya stole my sandwiches without sayin' anythin'. Yer nothin' but a rotten thief, ya know that?"

The clone shakes his head fearfully, trying not to look at me.

"Well, don't just stand there, ya idiot!" I scream back. "Why did ya steal those sandwiches from me? They're not yers! Give them back, will ya?!"

The clone turns and grabs something behind it, then tosses the thing onto the ground in front of me. It is my sandwich bag, the exact one it stole from me earlier back above. Only now my bag is unbearably tattered, dirty, and torn apart…

It also happens to be undeniably empty.

I growl and roll my eyes. So much for the chase if I'm not going to get back what I wanted.

"Okay, ya stole my sandwiches, ya made me chase ya all over the Internet to 'tis dark place, pretendin' to be Ralph. Seriously, are ya kiddin' me?" I ask, kicking the torn, useless bag aside as I step forward. The clone is now shaking again as it stands up, then stumbles backwards as fast as it could, as if it's desperately trying to get as far away from me as possible.

"Yer not gettin' away so easily, clone!" I scream as I continue to step forward, not letting the clone get away from my sights. The clone continues to stagger backward, staggering until it reaches a wall and could not move further. I walk to it, wielding my flashlight menacingly just inches from its face. There! I have it cornered, I have the upper hand now.

"Listen clone." I hiss "What ya did was purely unacceptable. Ya have somethin' to explain, man! I can't let ya run off without knowin' why ya just did all that to me!"

The clone ducks down its head, tears streaming out of its eyes, focusing intensely on something in its hands. It is definitely trying to avoid me, trying not to take the blame for itself…

"WHAT DO YA HAVE TO _SAY_ FOR YERSELF? ! ? ! ? ! ? !" I yell in absolute hatred, stamping the ground. I clutch my flashlight tighter and shine its full glare onto the figure, blinding it in light.

With a quick jerk, the clone holds a small whiteboard in front of its face, shielding itself from my light and fury. On the board, three simple words are written on it.

 _I can't speak._

I look at the board, then at the figure holding it, then back at the board. "Yeah, I've should have known, I should have known. Yer just a Ralph clone, causing havoc and destruction everywhere ya go, unable to moan anythin' except the word 'fri…'"

The clone waves its arms frantically, as if telling me not to finish my word, as if it does not want to hear what I am saying.

"'…end'." I finish anyway, ignoring the clone. "Whatever, I don't care; nobody cares." I mutter, turning away in rage. It is the perfect, perfect cover: pretending that it cannot speak when it really is hiding something from me!

 _I'm leaving. I'm leaving here for good. Thank you for nothing, you disgusting clone!_

Just on the wall in front of me, I can see the ladder that I used to get down here. I place a hand on one of the rungs, about to leave this dark place for good when something, I don't know, tugs me back.

What if the clone wasn't lying at all?

What if it was really telling the truth, that it is really incapable of speech?

What if it wasn't trying to pretend it was Ralph, but I thought it was doing that?

Slowly, I release my hand on the bar, and I turn back to see the clone. I must have looked in the wrong direction, though, for instead of seeing it, I see a small clearing through two of the large boards, leading to somewhere I don't know. My curiosity gets the better of me, and I glitch towards that opening, finding myself surrounded by more pieces of huge board-like objects, their surfaces faded enough for me not to see anything.

"What is 'tis dump?" I wonder out loud "Where am I?"

I hear shuffling behind me, and I turn to see 'Ralph'—note the quotation marks, slowly walking through the same opening, carrying its board up to me. It gestures for me to shine my light on it, and as I do, I find its answer for my question.

 _This is the Older Net, where all the discarded websites and unwanted emails go._

"The Older Net?" I ask, glancing around. So according to 'Ralph', there is a place for characters to throw down their shining buildings above me, their websites, like complete, useless junk? Unbelievable! This can't be true, right?

I walk towards one of the huge boards that has fallen upon its side. With my light, I can see there are a few giant letters plastered on it, indicating that this piece must be from the outer wall of one of the once-shining buildings above. Carefully, I run my hand upon the board, stirring an immediate dust cloud that is so thick it lands me into an uncontrollable coughing fit.

I've never seen so much dust in my life.

"Doesn't…" I try to ask, yet another coughing fit starts to take over me "doesn't anyone…come down here to…clean all 'tis…all 'tis stuff up?"

I continue coughing, coughing to the point where I begin to stumble backwards. I let out one more heaving cough, one that manages to knock both my feet off the ground. I never hit the ground, though, for before I did, I find myself being guided back to my feet. I turn to see a large hand placed on my back, carefully tipping me back on my feet.

I don't even have to guess who the character that helped me was.

'Ralph' holds out the board in its other hand, showing its answer to my question.

 _No one ever comes down here to clear stuff up, or to look what is down here._

"No one?" I ask. "Like, ever?"

'Ralph' nods back, wiping its board clean.

By now I have finally stopped coughing, and carefully I step away from the dust-covered board, trying not to make myself cough and wheeze again. On my right, some broken pieces of a website form a makeshift platform, slightly towering over most of the other discarded sites. I glitch upon it, and from there I can see the Older Net in its entirely. Everywhere, all around me, countless discarded websites litter throughout the wasteland, row upon row of broken shards and fallen boards spread out beneath me, their silhouettes just barely visible by the bright lights above.

It's like I'm gazing down a graveyard of a once-vibrant city, now completely gone to waste.

Then I realize that's really what the Older Net is, in a way.

I hear grunting behind me, and I turn to see 'Ralph' climbing onto the platform as well. There it stands right beside me, looking over the vast wasteland as well.

"Can't believe that no one ever comes down here to see what an awful mess 'tis place is." I mutter under my breath. "Can't believe it."

I turn to the clone next to me, and I see it has already whipped up a response for me. _Me neither, but I guess that's a good thing for me._ It lets out a soundless sigh as it continues to gaze over the Older Net, red sparks of electricity occasionally flashing from its fingertips.

Maybe I shouldn't have treated 'Ralph' that badly earlier after all: its just another character that happened to be present in this barren wasteland, and I just happened to drop by at the time…

Wait.

Wait a minute.

If this was really one of the virus Ralph clones created in the Crash…

Shouldn't it have been destroyed already? All the sites that I went to said that after the clones went up the _Google_ skyscraper, they began to glow and disappear from the Internet. Every single last one of them.

 _So…why is there one standing right in front of my eyes? Why is one of the clones still here?_

While it isn't looking, I quickly rub my eyes and look again, as if to confirm that what I'm seeing isn't from my imagination.

Nope, the clone is still there, as solid as ever.

"Hey." I call, trying to get 'Ralph's' attention, "Yer one of the viral clones formed in the Crash, right?"

Without looking at me, 'Ralph' nods.

"So…why are ya still here?" I ask, curious "I thought ya guys were all destroyed at the end of the Crash."

 _I thought so too._ 'Ralph' replies. _Yet…here I am._

"What happened?" I ask again. "Why didn't ya get destroyed?"

 _You wanna know?_ The clone asks me back.

"Wait, so ya know somethin' that I don't about what happened?" I ask, hoping with all my might inside that the clone will nod its head and tell me that it indeed has secrets about the Crash that I haven't gotten yet.

It does.

I gasp. Somehow, even after going to twelve different websites and scanning every piece of information they can throw at me, I am still missing large chunks of information about what really happened in the Crash. The fact that one of the viral clones, considered to be a huge threat to almost all the netizens and avatars' eyes, is still kicking and alive with no one knowing simply baffles me. How can they all miss such a huge piece of information? How can they?

"So…what really happened?" I ask.

 _I'll tell you, but only on one condition._

'Ralph' wipes its words away and starts to write again. It furrows its brow as it jots down a rather long string of unknown words, as if the sentence it is writing has a sudden seriousness to it.

The board is soon turned back to me with one single sentence.

 _You can't tell anyone that I exist, that I'm still here._

Of course.

When I was looking for answers back in the city above, almost everyone I'd talked to said that all the viral Ralph clones have been destroyed, that the Internet is no longer in threat of another Crash anytime soon. As well as that, almost all of them have a disgusted attitude towards my brother's viral duplicates, making a sour face every time such a topic was brought up. If the world above found out that one of the viruses somehow escaped the killing, was somehow alive, was somehow living below their feet…

I don't even want to know what happens next.

"I won't tell anyone." I say, hoping that I can gain its trust for answers "I promise."

'Ralph' looks at me nervously, as if it doesn't really believe what I am saying. _Pinky promise?_ It asks bashfully, holding out its little finger on its free hand to me.

I hesitate for a moment: this is so _not_ Ralph. If I have to name ten characters that like to use this method to seal their promises, I can be a hundred percent sure that Ralph's name would never be on the list. Of all the characters I know, Ralph's not one to seal promises with a pinky; he never does that, not even when it comes to Vanellope…

"Ugh." I moan slightly, shaking my head to clear my thoughts. _Focus, RJ! Focus! This character isn't Ralph! It isn't your brother! Who cares if Ralph doesn't pinky promises stuff? This clone is not the same as him! Remember that!_

I let out a slight sigh, then I carefully wrap my left hand over 'Ralph's' large finger. "Pinky promise." I reply, shaking its finger gently to seal the deal.

 _Good._ The clone wipes out its relieved response, then waves its hand, as if beckoning me to follow it.

'Ralph' carefully leads me down the platform, back into the Older Net, slipping around and under the discarded website debris. As I follow it back down, the truth smacks me, so hard that it is almost like a physical punch to my face, knocking me over.

 _From the moment I made my 'pinky promise', I am in serious, serious trouble._

Until now, I don't think that my brother has any ideas on where I am now, or any idea on who I just met, who I just sealed a deal with. But I know for sure that Ralph is going to be really mad if he realizes that I've gone online; and on top of one of his clones being found, he would be seriously angry if he finds out one of them survived, angrier than all the netizens combined.

Meanwhile, I don't think 'Ralph' has any ideas about my real identity, that I'm the younger brother of the very character it is cloned from. From its actions earlier, it has become clear to me that the clone is absolutely terrified of the real Ralph: just hearing my brother's name sends it into a petrified, emotional wreck; and frankly, I can't blame it. I've seen Ralph chew out some of the _Sugar Rush_ racers back home, yelling at them till they're at the brink of tears, just because they mistreated Vanellope slightly. My brother is protective of me, _overly_ -protective at times, and if he realizes that I have sorta formed a bond with 'Ralph'…

At this moment, I have successfully earned some of 'Ralph's' trust; and although I know for certain that I will never be the same as my brother, there's no knowing what will happen if it finds out the truth about me, if it finds out that I'm forming the bond partly because I want to know what happened...

I don't want it to be afraid of me, I really don't; otherwise I might never get the information that I needed.

I can't let Ralph know; both Ralphs to be honest. I can't let Ralph know that I went online, that one of his clones somehow still exists; yet at the same time, I can't let 'Ralph' know my true identity, know my connection with the very character it is terrified of…

I am so busy thinking about what my next move should be, that I have failed to notice the debris-covered ground in front me. My prosthetic gets caught on a random object, and the next moment I know I'm sprawling facedown on the ground. As I lift my head up, I can see a huge red hand, outstretched to me. I grab it, and 'Ralph' gently pulls me back to my feet. My mind briefly flashes back to the videos of the Crash seen above, and I realize that of all the actions I've seen a clone would do, this is definitely _not_ one of them.

As I stand up, I find that 'Ralph' has already gone ahead of me. I sprint forward, trying to catch up. Sometimes, it waves a hand or points a finger at the ground, indicating that there is a random object littered there and I should be careful not to trip on it. Oddly enough, it keeps on looking forward, never turning its head when it gestures at the ground, even when it turns out that there _is_ an object dumped there…

As if it has been here for quite a while now…

I didn't say a word as we continue to journey down the Older Net, walking until we finally reach the place where we met each other for the very first time here. Using one of its hands, 'Ralph' dusts away some space on the ground and sits down. Meanwhile, I find a stray block of debris near it and sit down as well, anxious to hear what the clone has to tell me.

 _You understand ASL?_ 'Ralph' asks me through its board.

"Uh…" I look at the board, at 'Ralph', then back at the board, absolutely dumbstruck. How am I supposed to know? How am I supposed to answer? I don't even know what ASL means!

The clone seems to know what I'm thinking. It turns its board back and continues writing on it. A few seconds later the board is flipped back, revealing that the three letters actually stand for 'American Sign Language'.

Oh.

I shake my head. I have absolutely _no_ idea how that system worked. Yes, back in the arcade, there indeed a few characters that are incapable of speech, or they spoke in a language that is impossible to understand. Some of them opted to use sign language to tell us what they want, but I admit those characters don't appear often in Game Central Station or in our social gatherings, that we don't have much chance of meeting them and learning their language.

'Ralph' smiles with an understanding look, clearing its board and jotting on it again. _That's alright. I've gotten used to it already._ It looks back down again to clear its board, rubbing it clean with a dirty, tattered cloth. With it concentrated on its work, I can now see that the clone is using a torn piece of red plaid cloth to erase its words, the exact same cloth I've seen on Ralph's polo shirt, and possibly on the clone's as well.

I'm pretty sure that if I ask 'Ralph' to let me see its sleeves, there will be a slightly torn spot from where the cloth from its hand had been.

As soon as 'Ralph' finishes its job, it looks up at me, holding its board up. _It's gonna take longer for me to tell you everything, though._ It finishes, a faint grin hinting on its lips.

I sit up straighter in my makeshift seat as 'Ralph' grabs another marker from behind its back. It then starts to write on the board, weaving out its tale with its words.

 _It all started back in the Crash just a few months ago…_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Okay guys, we're heading into flashback territory! I know, the story should be told from RJ's point of view, but I think it'll be better if I told it from the clone's memories instead, right? So, this is what I did. :)**

 **Also, university is starting to get busy, so it may be a while until Chapter 6 or the RBTI bloopers. But I'm sure I can get them out soon. Till then, IceWrecker out! :D**

* * *

Chapter 5

'Ralph'

 _Where am I?_

I open my eyes, only to stare into another character right in the face. I blink, startled; yet the person blinks back at me at the same time, mincing my every move.

It is only then I realize that I am lying on a mirrored surface, staring into my reflection.

My arm bumps against something. I turn my head slightly, only to see a figure sprawling next to me. Somehow, the figure doesn't notice that my arm has hit against him, and continues to stare into his reflection.

Wait.

This figure looks familiar.

Where have I seen those features before?

I look back at my reflection, and now I see it.

 _The figure is **me**_.

The blocky build, the reddish skin, the dark eyes…

 _He is **me**._

I turn my head to the other side, and I see another figure. I do a double take, as the figure is the same as me as well.

The figure shifts his position, and I can beyond him many, many figures, all with identical features, spread out on the surface. I see something on the building beyond as well, and I realize that its surface is also covered with duplicates of me as well.

Then I see it: I'm not the only one with these features.

 _We're_ not the only ones.

All around our building, I can see lots and lots of similar skyscrapers, all with a mass of redness resting upon it. Instantly, I know what those masses are.

My brothers.

All my brothers.

All identical.

The same in every way.

We. Are. One.

All of a sudden, something, I don't know, shoots through us. I jerk back for a second, and then I realize, _we_ realize, at that moment we only wanted one thing, and one thing only.

 _Our **Friend**_.

 _A little girl with a ponytail and a hoodie which we call our **Friend**_.

The desire for her is so great, is like an unstoppable hunger churning through us. We so want to have her, to be her friend, to be with her forever…

 _We need her._

My brothers start to move: some climbing further up the glassy surface we're on, some letting go and dropping onto the ground below. We all started going in different directions simultaneously, but there is only one identical objective in our mind, only one.

 _Our **Friend**_.

 _Friend…_

 _Must…find… **Friend** …_

I leap across several buildings, crash through a large window, and fall onto one of the pods running on the conveyer belt. I smash my hand into the pod, reaching inside. Soon, I pull out a young-looking character, wearing a hoodie and a ponytail, and glance into her eyes.

 _"Friend?"_ I ask, clutching the character by her head. The character flails her arms about, her legs dangling above the pod. It is clear that she's terrified of me. I hold her closer to me, trying to see her better.

No, not _Friend_.

Someone who looks similar to my _Friend_ , but not my _Friend_.

Not my _Friend_ at all.

I toss the character aside and leap off the pod. Several of my brothers stumble into a huge building, smashing up the walls to make their way in. I follow them into the building, tearing up floorboards and tables as I do so. Some of them stayed near the entrance, breaking up stuff and tossing things aside. Meanwhile, I follow the others deeper into the building, hoping to find our _Friend_ within.

 _Must…find… **Friend** …_

I punch my fist into a wall, trying to break it down to see what is behind it. But instead of falling to pieces, my arm gets stuck in the crack I have made. I try to pull my arm out, but it is taking a lot of effort, as if this is not an ordinary wall…

 _"Yoo-hoo! Up here! It's me, your bestest friend in the whole wide world, who you can't live without!"_

Who said that?

I whip my head back quickly. Something, I don't know what, zooms outside the building. I can see a small figure wearing a hoodie waving his arms about.

No wait: _her_ arms about. My mind connects the voice to the figure, and I realize I know who she is.

My _Friend_.

 **Our** _Friend._

 _Friend…_

Instantly, my brothers turn and charge out of the building, chasing our target. I start to follow them, but my arm is still stuck within the wall. I grunt and pull with all my might, frustrated, yet it is no use.

 _Come on!_

 _COME ON!_

With a growl, I punch through the wall with my other hand, smashing it entirely. I carefully pull my arm out, freeing myself, and then turn to run out of the building.

By the time I am outside, my brothers have far gone. I hear something to my right, though, so I run in that direction. A building is in the way, and I crash through its walls to get to the other side.

It is when I see them.

My brothers.

All my brothers.

Running in unison, chasing a hovering car high above the conveyer belt.

I am still a few streets away, all I can see of my brothers is a roaring red wave, desperately trying to get to the car. Trying to get to our _Friend_ …

I have to get there.

I leap from building to building, and then make my way down to the ground. I start running, running in the direction of the hovering car and my brothers.

So we can be together as a whole again.

With our _Friend_ …

 _CREEEEEEEEEEEAK!_ The sound makes me look up, and I gulp. For above me, a tall building, made of glass and stone, is starting to tilt on its side. The persistent groaning sounds it makes tells me that the building will start to crash in a few seconds.

And the exact same building is in the way of me and my brothers.

I take a deep breath as I watch the building continue to tilt. My brothers are still running in the distance, still chasing our _Friend_. If I don't go there now, then I might lose them forever, my chance of getting our _Friend_ slipping from my grasp.

 _Shall I risk it?_

I take a deep breath, trying to decide what I should do. The building will be crashing down soon; my brothers will be soon out of sight; my _Friend_ leaving me for good…

I risk it.

With a loud cry, I charge forward, running in the direction of my brothers. They seem to be heading towards a certain area, but I can't make out where.

The building is starting to fall now. I try to pick up my pace, try to run faster, try to get to the place where my brothers are all at…

 _Must find **Friend**._

 _Must…find… **Friend…**_

I am panting now, but still I run. The building is looming on top of me now, threatening to close off my road. I have to get to my brothers. I have to. I have to!

 _Must…find… **Friend…**_

 _Must…_

 _Find…_

 ** _Friend_** _!_

My foot slips on something on the ground, and I fall to my knees. Instantly, the building is above me, crashing over me like a wave, showering me with debris.

 _I am not fast enough._

No matter how strong I am, I am no match for the building. My fate has been sealed: I cannot reach them. As the building falls upon me, I can only cry as I feel it crushing me down, pinning me to the ground, blocking me from the world, from my brothers.

And from my…

 _"Friend…"_

The world closes up entirely in front of me, and I feel nothing.

* * *

Dark.

Everything is dark.

And quiet.

No wait, I hear ringing, loud and clear.

Against my ears…

Are my ears ringing?

I slowly, slowly open my eyes. My face is touching the ground, my arms lying limply by my sides. All around me, I feel pain, unmistakable pain, shooting through me even as I lie down.

Even with my eyes open, I cannot see anything. I can feel stuff around me, feel something like a huge weight pressing me down, but I cannot make out anything else.

I try to remember anything that could tell me why I am here, trapped in goodness-knows-where. But so far, my mind is completely blank. I cannot remember anything. I cannot even remember my name!

 _Who am I?_

 _Why am I here?_

In the distance, I hear sounds, faint barely noticeable. But maybe it's all just my imagination.

Wait a minute, not sounds.

Voices.

I turn my head slightly to hear better. Yup, definitely voices now, getting clearer and clearer as I hear.

"So you think the website cannot be saved?"

The voice is deep and gravelly: I think it's a man's.

"Well, no. Not technically. But we've wanted to revamp our website for quite a while now and this seemed like the best excuse to do it."

That's not the same voice: this one sounds higher-pitched, more song-like. Is it a female's?

"So… what are we gonna do with this stuff, then?" Yup, the same man again. I recognize that voice.

"Oh, just toss everything down into the Older Net. No one goes down there anyway. We'll get the new site done in a few days. Here, let's take these walls off the ground."

The wall above me starts to shift up slightly, letting a tiny ray of light beam into the darkness. With the light, I start to see shadows moving outside, but I cannot make out what is making them.

Can I get their attention?

I let out a cough, and then groan loudly. A few seconds later I groan again, hoping that someone would notice that there is a character trapped under here.

"Wait, do you hear that?"

I stop groaning. Did they hear me?

I decide to experiment. _"Friend?"_ I ask. Maybe it'll be clearer if they heard an actual word. I think I should have muttered something else, but that is the only word I can think of.

"Where?"

"There! Under the wall! I hear something!"

Footsteps. Several of them. They're coming towards me. The wall is lifted slightly again, and more light pours into my darkness.

"Hey look! There's someone down here! Right there, I see a hand!"

Wait a minute, a hand…

Could it be _mine_?

"You sure, Conrad?"

"Of course I'm sure! Hey, everyone! Come here! Help me lift this thing up! We gotta get them outta here!"

I hear grunting as the wall above me is lifted more. My body is no longer forcefully pinned to the ground, yet I find I have no strength to push myself up. I try to pull my arm back, only to find out I cannot move it more than a few centimeters, as if my hand is glued to the ground.

"Push! Push! Come on, you can do it!"

The wall moves upwards more. I groan and try to peel myself off the floor again, but my body feels heavy.

So, so, so heavy.

The wall on top of me shifts up more, and now I can see them: a couple of figures, one holding something that emits some sort of light. I squint, trying to figure out why they are looking at me like that.

 _Can I trust them?_

"There, I see him! Mara, get him out!"

One of the figures steps towards me, a female by the looks of it, her hand outstretched to me. Very, very slowly, I haul my arm up and hold it out to her, trying to grasp her hand and get out of here…

"NO, DON'T TOUCH IT! GET BACK HERE, MARA, QUICKLY!"

The figure pulls her hand back sharply, and then slowly starts to stumble back to the others. I cock my head, confused to why she is doing that to me.

For a moment, no one speaks anything. All the figures are gaping at me now, but for what reason I don't know.

I don't know…

 _"Friend?"_ I ask hesitantly, while coughing. What are they doing? Are they coming to get me out?

 _Can I trust them?_

Then the shouting begins.

"That's not a character! It's a virus! It's one of the viral Ralph clones from the Crash!"

The characters around the talking figure gasp. I look back at them, confused on why they decided not to help me suddenly. The female character's expression hardens, and she looks at me with a face of disgust, an expression greatly unlike the one she wore just a moment earlier.

It is then I remember who I really am.

A clone.

 _A viral Ralph clone._

 _One of the many clones responsible for destroying the Internet in the Crash._

Now the wall has been lifted, I crawl from under it, staggering out of the building debris. It took a while, since my body still feels heavy, but at least I'm no longer trapped.

Crawling on all fours, I look back at the crowd. As I watch, one of the figures picks up a stray shard of glass off the ground. Meanwhile, another character, the same one who stretched out her hand to me moments ago, arms herself with a huge gun-like object. Slowly but surely, all the figures around me start to pick up things off the ground, all sorts of things…

And then they all aim them at me.

 _What are they doing?!_

 _What are they doing to me?!_

"That's a clone, guys! They're not totally destroyed! One of them is still here!" Someone, I can't really make out the gender, shouts.

Wait…

 _Destroyed?_

 _Totally destroyed?!_

 _You mean…my brothers…they're…they're all…_

"Don't just stand there, you idiots! Don't let the clone get away! Kill it! Kill it!" A male voice shouts.

 _Run._ A tiny voice in my mind whispers. I don't like the sound of the man's voice. I don't want to know what he wants to do with me.

"Kill it!"

 _Run!_ The voice is back again, urging me to quickly do something.

"KILL IT!"

 _RUN!_

Instantly, I push up from the ground, planting my feet firmly down. The crowd around me gasps, then they fire their weapons at me. I can feel a sting on my arm, another on my chest. I hold up a hand in front of my face, just fast enough to stop a flying brick from smashing my nose flat.

It is then I really start to run.

 _RUN!_

I sprint down an alley near the fallen building, and dive into another alley. I can hear shouting and footsteps, getting closer and closer to me. Again and again, I can feel objects hitting hard against my back. My body feels weak, _extremely_ weak, but I know I have to run. I have to.

 _RUN!_

I turn down a corner, and then charge quickly to my right. The shouting is louder now, I guess more characters have engaged in the chase.

I can't let them get me.

 _RUN!_

My throat is on fire, my breathing is rapid. I know I cannot continue running much longer, but still I run. Up ahead, I hear shouting. Without warning, I feel a throbbing pain on my head. Instinctively, I squeeze one eye shut as I feel something flow down my forehead. That something makes its way to my mouth, leaving a metallic taste behind.

Is that… _code_?!

Am I _bleeding_?!

I jog down a corridor to my left, hoping to lose my chasers. Up ahead me, the road is closed off suddenly, a series of railings stopping me from advancing. I jerk unnaturally to a stop, panting as I rest against the railing.

Have I lost them?

No.

I haven't.

I can hear them, in the alley right behind me, about to capture me.

I look beyond the railing. Apart from darkness, there is nothing I can see. Carefully, I haul myself over the railing, making sure I didn't fall. Then very, very slowly, I lower myself down the edge, grasping the rungs for support.

There they come now.

I hear them.

"Where are you? I know you're out there!"

Hidden just beneath the edge, I don't dare make a sound, hoping that they will not know where I am. But it is no use: the stampeding gets closer and closer, and then all of a sudden, everything stops.

For the crowd has reached where I am.

I look up, only to see the crowd of figures, each holding up some sort of real or makeshift weapon. I gulp: things aren't looking good for me.

One of the figures steps forward, takes out a gun-like object, and points it at my head. "Any last words, clone?" He asks menacingly.

There is a moment of silence. The figure taps his foot impatiently, waiting for me to answer.

 _I can't give in._

 _I can't let them get me._

 _Unless…_

"Any last words?" The figure asks again, his voice obviously raised.

And at that moment, I give him my answer.

I let go of the railing.

A loud gunshot rings out above me as I tumble into the inky darkness, down into the endless abyss below. The crowd is still shouting, but their voices are much fainter now.

I continue falling, completely weak. I don't care if there is anything I can do to stop myself, for I am too tired to save myself. I just let myself fall…

And fall…

And fall…

How far down does this go?

Am I gonna fall forever?

As soon as I finished that thought, I crash into something hard. I sprawl on the object, my body limp, my vision blurry as an even darker darkness inches towards its center. I close my eyes, as I feel pain, unbearable pain, slowly take over me.

Consuming me…

Claiming me for itself for good…

* * *

 _Am I dead?_

I let out a low moan, and slowly open my eyes. My body is hurting, ugh, it's hurting; but the pain is no longer strong enough to bind me to the ground. My arms and legs are sore, but so far I can still stretch and wiggle them about, I can still feel them.

 _No, I'm not dead. Not dead at all._

Carefully, I lift myself to my feet, stumbling to keep balance. My head is still throbbing, and I reach up to touch it, only to feel code running down its side. I tear out a sizeable piece of fabric from my sleeve and fashion it into a bandage, wrapping it around my wound. As I concentrate on my work, my mind briefly flicks back to a few moments earlier.

The shouting…

The chasing…

Me letting go of the railing, letting myself fall into this dark place…

 _Where am I?_

Suddenly, I hear something crash in the distance. Very quickly I tie off my bandage and turn in that direction. I squint my eyes and I see it: huge fragments of a building or something, made of glass and stone to whatever, being thrown down into the place I am in. Huge pieces, being tossed down again and again and again.

The crashing sounds stop a few minutes later. Carefully, as soon I know no one is dumping anything more down here, I make my way to the newly-thrown debris, to see what they really tossed down.

That's odd.

Why does the debris look so familiar?

As soon as I get there, I get the answer to my question.

 _This is the same debris that trapped me under back in the Crash._

 _This is the one._

A voice from my memory pops up in my head. _"Oh, just toss everything down into the Older Net. No one goes down there anyway."_

The Older Net…

Is this where I am now?

A place where no one will ever go down here to find me?

I turn my head, only to see many, many similar debris scattered all around me. Some of them have faded long ago, some of them have gathered large piles of dust, some have broken in millions of tiny shards, proving impossible for me to recognize which website it originally came from...

 _So it's true._

 _It is true._

 _No one really comes down here anymore._

With that realization in mind, I start to build up a life in the Older Net, without constantly having the fear of being found. I explore the world I am in, scavenging among the fallen buildings, trying to find something that I can use. Although most of the Older Net is covered with dust and darkness, I eventually got used to it, and manage to find several useful objects from the garbage. From one website, I pull out a few cardboard boxes for me to rest upon on; while from another I find a large piece of fabric, large enough that I am able to transform it into a huge poncho to shield myself from the bitter winds down here. I also find several ladders scattered throughout the Older Net, ladders which are able to lead me back to the shining world above…

 _Do I risk it?_

I thought against it, but eventually hunger begins to take over me. I have failed to find anything edible in the dump, and even if I _do_ find something that I can eat, I can't help but puke it out almost immediately. It is soon clear to me that from the Older Net alone, I cannot survive…

 _I risk it_.

Wearing my poncho to conceal my identity, I return to the Internet, the very world I destroyed not so long ago. I move quickly and quietly, taking whatever I needed, sneaking into buildings which I see there are not many characters. I try to keep my head down, keep a low profile, trying not to draw attention to myself every time I'm up there.

Apart from food, I start to take other stuff I cannot find down in the Older Net. I find a small whiteboard and several markers in an almost abandoned building, and used them to convey my silent words. I also started learning sign language to make characters less suspicious of who I am, though it is not proving easy as I cannot risk being in the Internet for too long. Every time I go above, I am constantly terrified that someone would realize that I'm a viral clone, and that I have to bolt back to the safety of the Older Net without anything in hand. But as it turns out the Internet is also home to a number of crazy stuff, stuff that is crazy enough to make me look completely normal.

A few weeks pass, and from my occasional trips to the Internet I begin to find out more about myself, and what really happened when the building fell upon me. I wasn't mute because of the building crash; my voice was rendered silent because of the virus inside me, making it impossible to verbally convey my thoughts. I am made because of an Insecurity Virus, duplicated from a certain Wreck-it Ralph's flaws, making me despicable in every way. Shortly after I am crushed under the skyscraper, all my brothers gathered together to form a gigantic version of ourselves, capable of further destruction. They got our _Friend_ , they got her, but somehow after someone talked to them they decided to let her go.

And then they disappeared.

Disappeared into the light.

Every single last one of them.

Leaving me behind.

Sometimes, when I pass by one of the gaming websites (is it Slaughter Race? I cannot remember), I can see my _Friend_ standing in the entrance, talking to a few other characters, happy as ever.

I learn that she actually has a name: Vanellope Von Schweetz.

Seeing her happy with her friends, I can't help but smile, but also can't help to turn away every time she looks in my direction.

For I know for certain that she'll never be my friend.

After everything I did to her, there's no way she'll accept me.

I can never, ever be her friend.

Don't take me wrong: every time I see Vanellope, I don't have an irresistible urge to run to her, to grab her, to force her to become my friend. No, I don't have that in mind. No one should be forced to become friends with one another. But seeing her happy with a large crowd of friends…I can't help but feel a tinge of jealously towards her, craving for what she's having.

Maybe it's because of the building crash that something changed inside me, transformed me into something different. Well, it did, I really changed, but it also left me with an unmistakable loneliness.

When I go onto the Internet and see characters chatting and joking naturally with one another like it is no big deal, I feel a huge pang within my chest. I _so_ wanted companions, I really do. It was to the point I see it like a dangling toy in front of me, swinging. But also I know for a fact that it is something I can desire but never get, and that I will never have.

I don't deserve to have a friend.

Shivering in the Older Net in some cold days, I can't help but think why I had to be crushed by the building, why I am forced to be retreat to the dark place, why I am now alone in the world. But then again, I know that I deserved it, that I deserved to rot in this place, that I wasn't supposed to exist in the Internet.

It's the perfect punishment for me, and I deserved it.

Pulling my poncho tighter, I shiver again. As I recall my fate, I can't help but cry out loud, crying that my brothers are no longer with me, crying that I have to hide in this dark place, crying that I have never have a friend in my life.

That I deserved to be friendless, alone, and a wandering killing target for the rest of my life.

 _Forever._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Next chapter up, hope you enjoy! :D**

* * *

Chapter 6

RJ

 _Forever…_

The word is faintly etched on the whiteboard, barely visible; yet it is also extremely clear at the same time.

For a moment, I stare at that single word, unable to look away, as if there is something mesmerizing about it that captures my attention. Quickly, I shake my head, clearing my thoughts, and then look up at the character who'd written the word.

With its tale complete, 'Ralph' lets out a sigh and turns its board around. It wipes out the word, then proceeds to toss the marker it is holding to its left. The clone's story was so long that it took five markers to write down every detail, everything that had happened to it.

Setting its board on the ground, 'Ralph' turns and lumbers over to a medium-sized box over in the corner. It rummages through it and plucks out a couple of new markers, tearing off their wrappers. _How many markers did it manage to grab up there?_ I wonder as the clone returns to where I'm at.

As I continue to sit there, 'Ralph's' story keeps on replying in my mind. Although it cannot speak, it manages to paint up a scene that is to real you can reach out and touch it. It is like I can see the Crash in its point of view, feel the wind in my hair as it dodged across the buildings, feel the pain when the fallen building landed on top of it, feel the weapons hitting on its back as the netizens tried to kill it…

And feel its loneliness.

Its utter, sickening loneliness, desperate for companionship.

Sure, 'Ralph's' a clone, and a dangerous one at that. Along with its duplicates, 'Ralph' did cause unmistakable damage to the Internet, one that characters will remember for years. I understand why the netizens tried to kill it, I really do: if I were a netizen whose website got destroyed by the very character in front of my eyes, I would have done the same thing. But somehow…I kept thinking 'Ralph' shouldn't be treated this way. Even if it really did help ruin the Internet, it shouldn't be beaten and chased and tried to be killed when it has just barely escaped. It shouldn't. It really shouldn't.

Did 'Ralph' deserve this?

Did it?

I shake my head, but not only I'm not able to shake off 'Ralph's' story, I can see another story, from another character, shifting up from the depths of my memory. I close my eyes, as if seeing both stories play in front of me, overlapping in front of my eyes. As they played, I can finally see why it was so hard for me to forget what the clone said. Now I can see it. The isolation, the rejection, the neglect...everything, it was all so familiar, so real, so tangible…

As if I've heard such a story before.

I look back up at the clone: 'Ralph' has finished stashing its newly-unwrapped markers into its pockets and has started cleaning its board once more, polishing it furiously. Very carefully, I break the silence.

"So…really? No one ever came down here to the Older Net after yer here? No one?"

'Ralph' nods. _Sometimes I see characters come down here to retrieve stuff, but they're gone fast._ It rubs out its sentence and returns with a new one. _You're actually the first character to chase me back down here_. It finishes, smiling a bit.

"Well, thank you!" I say, bowing. I couldn't help letting loose a giggle as I do so. "I take that as a complement! Guess ya learn somethin' new every day!"

The clone lets out a silent chuckle. _Loads of the characters up there don't realize I'm among them. The blocky-headed ones, to be exact._

"Yeah, gotta agree on that one." I say, cocking my head as I recalled my experience with the avatars in the websites moments ago "They just walk right by ya, not carin' who's in their way, like they're in their in their own little world or what!"

'Ralph's' grin widens at my words. Suddenly, I stand up and start to walk stiffly towards the clone.

"Hey look! I'm an avatar!" I pretend, staring blankly and jerking unnaturally as I move. "A normal, blocky-headed human avatar, who doesn't care about everyone who gets in my way!" I hear snickering, but I ignore it and continue with my act. "So take that, ya idiots! Take that! I don't care about a thing in the world! Fear my big head, and bow at thy blockiness!"

 _THUMP!_ I glance to see where 'Ralph's' at, only to find it fallen on the ground, rolling and pounding and crying with hysterics. I know the clone's supposed to be voiceless, but throughout the quietness I can hear a very faint laughter, with a tone slightly lower than my brother's, come out of it. Are clones able to feel joy and laugh like normal characters do? Are they able to? I don't know.

"Move along, move along! Get outa my frickin' way! King Blocky the First comin' through!" I have reached to where 'Ralph' is lying on the ground, and march to my left while continuing my ridiculous performance. "I see and hear ya, but I don't care! I'm in my own little world and ya can't kick me out! Even if an explosion happens right next to me, I won't notice! At least, not until I actually get hurt!"

The laughter abruptly stops. The clone gets up and turns to me with a horrified expression. _Wait, so you've seen it happen?_

"Nah, nah. 'Tis just an example right off my mind, don't worry. I've never seen it happen, and I hope I never will. Just chill, dude." I wave my hand at 'Ralph', shrugging it off.

The clone's expression relaxes, then it starts with a new sentence. _Sometimes I try to get their attention, even when I know I shouldn't._

"Oh, really?" I ask, "What for?"

'Ralph' doesn't respond, as we both know the answer.

"Ya really want a friend, right?"

'Ralph' looks away from my gaze, avoiding me. I can tell this is something that it does not feel comfortable talking about. Eventually, it slowly nods its head.

"I understand." I say, walking closer to the clone. "Everyone needs a friend in their lives. Everyone really. Can't disagree on that."

The clone sighs and holds up its board. _No one wants to be my friend, though, after what I have done._ It then sets its board on the ground, and looks away from me.

"No, don't say that!" I reply quickly. "I mean, ya _did_ break the Internet, literally, but it doesn't mean that no one would neglect ya as a friend! The Internet is so big; there are so many different kinds of characters here! There's bound to be someone who doesn't mind ya past and status and is willin' to become yer friend!"

 _Someone…like you?_

I freeze, my body glitching up briefly. This is not what I expected this conversation to go.

"Wait a minute…so…what yer are sayin'…'tis that ya want me to be yer-"

" _Friend?"_ It asks verbally.

Well, that escalated quickly.

My head jerks up immediately, looking at 'Ralph'. As soon as it meets my gaze, the clone glances away bashfully, covering its face partially with its board. Meanwhile, my mind starts whirling, trying hard to process what 'Ralph' has just expressed to me.

Does 'Ralph' really want me to be its friend?

Does it?

"Ya want me to be yer friend?" I ask.

'Ralph' nods, still hiding behind the board, now with a response to my question. _You really are the first character I've met who doesn't want to kill me when they know who I am._

I have an urge to answer, but I manage to clamp my mouth shut. I can see that it needs help, but help may not be the thing I can give now.

I can't let 'Ralph' know who I really am.

"Yer…friend?" I ask uncertainly, just to make sure that I'm not seeing things wrong.

When the clone nods, I stammer out my answer "I…I don't know. I really don't know!" I stand up quickly, my body flickering in and out beyond my control. As I glitched, 'Ralph' looks at me nervously, concerned at what is happening to me.

 _You're glitching!_ It writes.

"Yeah, I know, I know. Happens all the time." I breathe in and out slowly, trying to calm myself down. Meanwhile, I loosen my stabilizer to release some of my Glitch, letting a few flashes of green pulse through me until everything finally settles down. I breathe in once again, calming myself, before continuing my sentence.

"Unfortunately, I…I don't know. I don't think I can trust ya yet. I mean, we've just met. And yer a virus after all, that I cannot deny. And I mean, yeah, sure! I won't tell yer story out to anyone, I won't! Yer secret is safe with me. But when it comes to makin' friends with ya… I…I just…I don't know! I just don't know what I should do!"

'Ralph' nods, looking down at the ground. _I understand._

"Look, I really want to help, I really want to." I say, "I understand that ya really want a friend. Ya don't deserve to be treated like 'tis. But…'tis just that…I don't know ya well, well enough to trust ya."

Okay, I admit it: I'm half-lying at this point. Yes, I really don't know the clone enough, I mean, we've just met! But this is not the main reason why I'm making this decision. No, it is not.

It's about Ralph.

Wreck-it Ralph.

My older brother, aka the very same character 'Ralph' is cloned from.

Being on the Internet, I've already broken his rule of staying in the arcade; and now with 'Ralph' being found, I cannot imagine what will happen if he manages to find out my secret. _Our_ secret, if I really become 'Ralph's' friend.

I can't let my brother know.

I can't.

 _You know I just want you safe, Ralph Jerome. It's just that simple._

I really want to help 'Ralph', I really do; but if Ralph somehow manages to find out about our friendship, I don't even want to know what will happen to us, both of us.

With my dangerous background, this is now more than just keeping a secret: it's about building up a new connection with someone I'm not supposed to meet, should be fearful of. And…I don't know, I don't know. There's something about it that I don't think I can decide whether I can do immediately or not.

I'm not ready for this.

"I'm sorry." I stammer. "I don't know, I just…'Tis just that…I really can't trust ya yet. I can't! I'm sorry!"

I look at the ground, trying to get myself together. I can feel a part of me tug one way, pulling my feet to the ground, trying to keep me from leaving. But I fight against it, trying to break my way free, trying to tell myself no matter how much I want to help, I shouldn't, I shouldn't have any say in this! I'm glitching again; wilder than before, an internal war going on inside me. I hear 'Ralph' gasp, but I don't care. I don't care!

 _You can't trust it yet, RJ, you can't! You really can't!_

 _You can't let 'Ralph' know who you really are!_

I let out a loud sigh. I lift my head back up, meet 'Ralph's' waiting gaze, and give it my answer.

"I cannot be yer friend yet."

Without looking at 'Ralph' for its response, I start towards back the way I went, back towards the ladder that I used to get down here. I can hear it banging one of its markers on its board, trying to call me back. But I don't look back. Just as I put my hand on one of its rungs, I turn my head. There, I see the clone, its arms lying limp at its sides, the marker and board clattered to the ground. It tries not to look at me, but even from distance I can see the sadness in its eyes.

As if it doesn't want me to go.

"I'm sorry." I say again, muttering under my breath. I'm not sure if 'Ralph' can hear me, but it's better than saying nothing before I leave.

Sighing, I look away and continue to climb up the ladder, carefully hauling myself up until I return to the Internet. I don't look down, not until the Older Net is far below me.

I can barely remember the way I dodged through the alleys to get to the ladder, as if every turn I take manages to lead me further into the maze of alleys. But after making several twists and turns, I eventually make my way back out to where the tall buildings are. Throughout my walk, my mind seems foggy, as if I cannot shake off everything that just happened…

"Whoops, sorry!" I apologize as I bump into an avatar running in front of me, though she doesn't really seem to notice. My mind briefly flashes back to my performance back in the Older Net, where I can see the clone silently howling with laughter, the very first time I've seen pure joy come out of it. My decision of leaving it behind in the darkness, in its loneliness…it just doesn't seem right. It doesn't.

Did I do the right thing by rejecting to be 'Ralph's' friend?

Did I?

 _Just go home, RJ._ A voice in my head says. _Just go home. With the Internet Crash and 'Ralph,' you have more than enough of the Internet now. The arcade's about to open in a few hours, and Ralph would probably want to know where you're at now. And you can't tell him, right? You can't tell him that you're on the Internet._

As much I want to retrace my steps back to the Older Net, I know deep down the voice is right. I have been here for, like, four to five hours now? It's been a long time since I first arrived. True that without me my game would still operate as usual, but Ralph would probably be worried about me, even much so now!

I have to get back home.

 _You're…you're right._ I think back, sighing. _You're probably right. I shouldn't continue to think about this. Right now, home is more important. I should go home now._

 _I should go home…_

Wait…

Wait a minute…

" _HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GO HOME?!"_


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

RJ

 _BAM!_ I strike my (real) foot hard against the door of my room, kicking it open and I collapse onto my bed. Breathing deeply, I carefully slide my backpack off my shoulders, letting it fall onto the floor.

For a moment, I just lie there, unmoving. I bury myself in the pillow, feeling the soft fabric brush against my face. I am exhausted, beyond exhausted: the trip back costed every single fiber of energy in my code.

It took me about 5 minutes to get onto the Internet.

Yet it took nearly an hour just to get myself back.

The reason? I wasn't an avatar.

So, after I got out the Older Net, through the winding alleys, and back into the heart of the Internet, I went into the nearest search website to find how I can get back to the arcade. I'll be clear here: it _wasn't_ the SearchBar, but the character in charge was just as annoying as KnowsMore, especially when he didn't really know what I was talking about. This is how our conversation went:

 _Character: Welcome sir! What do you wanna find today?_

 _Me: Um, I just wanna go home, that's all._

 _Character: Well, okay. Where do you live?_

 _Me: Uh, Litwak's Family Fun Center, Los Aburridos, California._

 _Character: Sir, but that's a real place!_

 _Me: Yeah, I live there._

 _Character: But you can't possibly live there! That's impossible!_

 _Me: Oh yeah? What if 'tis IS possible? *Annoyed*_

 _Character: Well, you're not an avatar, right?_

 _Me: Look at me! Just look at me! What makes ya think that I'm a freakin' avatar?!_

 _Character: Well, so where is your website?_

 _Me: I. Don't. Have. A. Website. *Getting more and more annoyed*_

 _Character: But…how is that possible?_

 _Me: Look. All I wanna do, 'tis to just get out of the freakin' Internet. Ya hear me?_

 _Character: Oh wait…so you're not an avatar, nor you're from the Internet?_

 _Me: So ya finally realized that?! Ya freakin' finally realized that?!_

 _Character: Yes…I unfortunately only realize this until now._

 _Me: ARRRRRRRRRRRRRUGH! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! *Throwing up my hands in rage and slamming them down on the counter, screaming*_

After I'd calmed down, the character kindly offers a suggestion to me. Since I wasn't an avatar, I don't have an IP address built into my coding. Luckily, he said, there were several websites that recorded every single character's addresses, even for those who aren't avatars. All I have to do, he said, was to go there, find my IP address from the sea of results, then go to one of the Internet Exit Portals scattered throughout the web, give the netizens in charge my address, and away I should go back to _Litwak's_.

Sounds complicated?

Good, because it is much more complicated when you put it in practice.

Getting to the website was easy, but everything went downhill from there. Finding my IP address from the millions of results was tedious work, especially when you can't mention your name for quicker searching. By the time I found it, I was so tired that when I reached one of the Portals, I had tripped over a record-breaking number of fifteen avatars, six netizens, and enough pop-ups to win several jackpots from over ten websites. Being 7'1" didn't help at all.

As I was about to leave, I heard the netizen in charge ramble something like 'remember to do this manually every time you leave' or whatever, but clearly I wasn't paying attention as he had to slap me awake to prepare for my trip home. I'm so tired, so freaking tired that I couldn't keep my eyes open as I whizzed away from the Portal, returning through the cables back to the WiFi router at Litwak's. It was a miracle that no one caught me staggering through the WiFi portal, stumbling through the station, and crawling onboard the train back to my game, arriving about half an hour just before the arcade opens.

I let out a loud yawn, my eyes getting droopy. My trip to and fro the Internet had taken its toll on me, and I am exhausted from all of it. All I want now is rest; sweet, sweet, sweet rest.

As my vision closes up, a random memory from the Internet pops up at me. There! In the Older Net, where I confronted the clone for my sandwiches. I can't help but bark out a laugh, laughing at the fact that I went that far just for some sandwiches.

Then again, I admit I was hungry at the time.

But really, recalling how I chewed the clone out when I reached the Older Net, I cannot help but feel sorry for 'Ralph'. I admit I shouldn't have been that hard on it; my temper got the better of me back then. But really, seeing how bad its conditions are, I can't help but think there must be something that I can do to help…

 _Are you kidding me, Ralph Jerome?! You're planning to go back to the Internet for that worthless clone?!_

I nod my head. Yes, it sounds absurd, very absurd. Why would I go back to the Internet, to the place where I was forbidden to go, just for this one person who isn't even a real character?

Why would I?

But at the same time, I know someone else who had a similar experience to what 'Ralph' had, and that I really don't want it to follow in his footsteps, to receive a second chance when it is too late…

It deserves a second chance, like right now.

Maybe I should do something to help it.

Maybe I should…

* * *

"Hey, RJ! Wake up!"

I yelp and snap my eyes open. I turn my head a bit, only to see Ralph leaning on the doorway, looking back at me. "Wha-what?" I mutter, "What is it, Ralph?"

"Litwak's here, arcade's open, we've gotta go. You tired?" He asks concerned. "Naps aren't really your thing, RJ."

My brother's right: I'm not a big fan of naps. Somehow, even when I'm very tired, I am extremely reluctant to retreat to my bed. I don't want to spend every minute of my free time dozing in; I feel like my time shouldn't be used in this way. It shouldn't.

And now, with me clearly lying on the bed and my brother knowing that I don't usually do this, this is a clear warning to him that I've done something that I usually won't do, and it's definitely _not_ my usual pranks. I can't let him know, I can't, so I try to answer in an innocent tone. "Yeah, I'm…tired." I say, my yawns interrupting my words "I'm just tired, Ralph, so I went and had a nap. That's all."

"With your portable stabilizer still on?" He asked, his eyes narrowing, suspicious.

Uh-oh.

With my extremely unstable coding, I have to wear a stabilizer at all times to keep my Glitch in check. But my Glitch is so strong, so unpredictable that I have to make adjustments to my stabilizer almost all the time, loosening or tightening it when I feel I might need to use more of my Glitch, or to keep it at bay. This I can do manually when I'm awake, yet when I'm asleep I can no longer adjust my code for myself, thus I have to rely on a huge stabilizing machine to keep track of my Glitch for me, preventing me from potential moments when my Glitch could go haywire. If I cannot quickly adjust my code when I need it, then…

Simply put: falling asleep without taking off my portable stabilizer and/or hooking myself to the stabilizing machine could cause disastrous effects on my code, especially if a Glitch Attack strikes without warning. This is the same even if I'm in my own game and have the power to regenerate.

"Uh, no! I, um, I forgot to take it off, sorry!" I bolt up in my bed, ripping off my hood and kicking off my sheets. I am about to unhook my stabilizer off when I realize that I'm no longer asleep, and that I'm okay with wearing it now.

Ralph sighs and shakes his head. "Remember to take if off next time." He calls, walking out. "I'll meet you outside."

Instantly, I slam my door shut, incredibly thankful that Ralph doesn't seem to know why I am so tired. I carefully unfasten my stabilizer anyways, fastening it again as I changed out of my normal clothes and into a green polo shirt, dark blue overall-like pants, and a pair of pale-green goggles to protect my eyes from the stray brick flecks.

My Wrecker Gear.

Back in my early days of wrecking, I have worn my jacket and trousers to work; but as I worked longer and longer, I realized that repeated hard work with these clothes could accelerate their wear and tear. Seeing this, Ralph persuaded me to get back my old polo shirt and overalls (the ones I used as payment for my new clothes) along with a few new fabrics, have them remade into a 'Wrecker Gear' tailored to my frame, and have me wear them during gameplay. Sure, I hated them when I first put them on, hated that I'm not able to wear my usual clothes during gameplay, but eventually they grew on me.

As I walk out, Ralph grabs an energy drink from the fridge and tosses it to me. As I drain it, he leads me out of our home and to the dump. Setting the empty can aside, I brush my hand through the brick flecks, and it bumps against something wooden. I thrust my hand into the pile, pulling out a huge sledgehammer, tied and woven with ribbons and fabrics of all colors on the handle. Since I've lost almost all my Wrecker Powers after my second unlocking, this bad boy does all the damage for me; and not to lie, it works pretty well for a character with almost-normal strength.

As soon I retrieved the hammer, I get up, toying with the strands of fabric tied on the handle. Each one of them represented a different character, a different memory of mine. I could have toyed with them for much longer if not for the familiar _clink!_ of a quarter being dropped. As soon I hear that, I look over at Ralph. It is time.

"You, stay here." Ralph instructs me, and walks out, positioning himself next to the building. Right on time, the speech bubble appears above his head. Pumping his fists, he yells "I'M GONNA WRECK IT! ! ! !" , and turns to tear down the walls and windows in the building behind him. Ralph then climbs up the ladder on the side of the building and continues to chuck down bricks and glass shards to the ground, destroying the building. He finally reaches the top and pumps his fists once more, as if proud of what he has done.

"FIX IT, FELIX!"

Right on cue, Felix runs up to the building, magic hammer in hand, and starts fixing my brother's destruction. After the level, as soon as the damage is completed, Felix receives a medal and Ralph gets chucked off the side of the building, into the big mud puddle that waited for his arrival.

It will also wait for my arrival several moments later.

Sure enough, when about 10 levels have passed, Ralph turns his head to me and calls "SUMMON THE GLITCH!" That's my cue, and yelling, I run out from my spot and start wielding my sledgehammer on the walls, helping my brother to inflict more damage. I can see the player struggling to keep control with my appearance, but soon he regains his concentration and is able to fix our damage, sending Ralph and me plummeting to the mud puddle not long after.

As I continue to damage the building in the following levels, I can't help but think of my trip to the Internet, my search for the Crash, and about 'Ralph' in the Older Net. Specifically, how it looked at me when I left…

No, not it, _him_. 'Ralph's' not an 'it' anymore. Definitely not an 'it'.

Remembering my thoughts before I took that nap, the idea of actually doing something to help the clone again pops up in my mind. Sure, it will be risky, I'll have to keep several secrets all at once, and I cannot let Ralph know anything near my plan. But what choice do I have? Really, what choice do I have?

But really, I guess that happens to anyone when you want to do something without anyone knowing what you have in mind.

 _I wish I can somehow help him, if only…_

It is then a plan hits me. A brilliant, brilliant plan that could try and help 'Ralph'. I can't solve all his problems, but solving at least some of them is already an achievement, right?

"Yes!" I say aloud. "I know what I should do!"

"What? What are you talking about?" Ralph asks, confused to what I am saying.

Oh, right.

I cannot let Ralph know.

"Uh, nothin'." I say quickly, leaping onto another ledge and smashing the wall behind it. I am about to leap further when I feel a hand grasp me from behind. I turn and see Ralph looking straight in my face.

My brother's voice then drops down to a whisper "You know, RJ, I think you've been keeping a lot of secrets lately, right?"

Not wanting to lie or tell the truth, I simply smile, letting the question dissolve between us before leaping to another ledge, swiping Mary's pie and smashing two more windows along the way.

Eventually I would have to come clean to Ralph, but…not now. Definitely not right now.

 _I'll tell you later, my brother. Just…not now._

 _Not right now._

'Ralph'

The winds are stronger today, fiercely piecing through me as I lie down on the cold hard ground, covered slightly by a few cardboard boxes I salvaged from the dump. I rarely wear my poncho when I'm sleeping: I cannot risk damaging it in my sleep, but today is exceptional as I don't think I have any other choice.

I have learnt that the 'winds' are actually data streams, pouring in new information to their respective websites in the form of freezing gusts when normal cables aren't fast enough. With the buildings up there, the winds cannot inflict most of their damage; but down here, in the abandoned areas, it sure gets cold really fast.

My teeth chatter nosily, and shivering, I pull my poncho tighter, hoping that it'll somehow be enough to shield me from the winds, that I'll be able to survive another day down here...

 _CRASH!_ I jerk up as I hear something big slam down in the distance. All these days of living in the Older Net tells me that there's another website being thrown down, another website that either no one wanted, or someone just wanted to do a makeover to their old site.

I pull myself to my feet and lumber towards the sound. Most of the times the websites offer stuff that is either not useful to me, or are damaged beyond repair for me to do anything. I usually get all my stuff on the Internet. But this time, I feel like I should check the website out, despite it having a larger-than-average chance of not having anything useful to me.

I get to where the newly-fallen website is and squint, making out the huge words printed on its sides: _Moore and Johnston's Supreme Bedding Supplies_. Apparently this website used to sell sheets and blankets and stuff.

 _Perfect._

I dig under the website, and feel my hand run against something soft. I grasp the thing and pull it out, revealing a blanket, both too thin and too small for my size, but still usable nonetheless. I dig further and pull out several more similar blankets, tossing them in a pile before picking them up and returning to my spot.

I take off my poncho and wrap myself up with the new blankets, bundling tightly within them. The blankets are thinner than I realized, but they're sure better than sleeping in my poncho or on my cardboard boxes. I snuggle further into them, hoping to get all the warmth I can get before my next trip to the Internet for more food and resources.

As I start to drift off into sleep, my mind briefly flickers back to a few moments earlier. As much I want to think about something else, I just can't help thinking about the mysterious stranger that came to me in the Older Net.

The character, I think he's a man, confronting me down in the Older Net, not because he wanted to kill me, but simply to take back what was originally his.

Something that I've never seen anyone done before.

I don't even know his name.

I grasp onto that memory, trying to recall every little detail about him. He was wearing a green jacket, blue trousers, and a metallic something on his chest that I cannot make out. He had extremely green eyes, and had his hood pulled up. I think he also walked with a prosthetic; yes, I remember his right leg being metallic. And he was glitching: his body never seemed to stop flickering in the slightest when he was down here, pulsing with green light every now and then.

I remember his humor, his mocking of the avatars, and his laughter. His loud, boisterous, contagious laughter ringing out through the Older Net as he pretended to be an avatar.

I remember these features about the stranger, but I can't help getting the feeling that he's not a stranger at all, and that I've seen him before…

That's absurd, why would I have seen him before? Why would I?

I rack through my head for memories. Every time when I reached the place where I see myself destroying the Internet with my brothers, my mind just shuts itself down, not letting me go further. And yet, although the features bounce off blankly in my empty mind, I can't help thinking how familiar those features look.

As if I should know him, somehow.

As I yawn and start to fall into slumber, I think of the stranger one more time, the mysterious, yet familiar hooded, green-eyed stranger that chased me back down the Older Net, that seemed nice to me, that rejected my invitation, with obvious conflict, to be my friend.

Although he's not here, I cannot help asking this question, as if he is there, able to hear my thoughts.

 _Who are you?_

 _Tell me, who are you?_


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Okay, guys, sorry for the delay: school hit me hard, but I tried to make it up with a longer chapter here.**

 **Hope you guys enjoy it! Till then, IceWrecker out! :D**

* * *

Chapter 8

RJ

Okay, let's go through this one more time.

Sandwiches?

 _Check._

Light Cycle Baton?

 _Check._

Additional jacket?

 _Check._

Additional flashlight?

 _Check._

Spare prosthetic and stabilizer?

 _Check._

So it looks like I have everything packed. I run my hand through my pack one more time, feeling its contents. Yup, everything's in there. I got everything.

Well, _almost_ everything.

Slowly pulling my backpack up my back, I turn towards my bed. Another bag, this one only with one strap, is lying on top of it, its insides bulging. I carefully take the bag off my bed and haul it up my shoulder, wincing a little in the process for the object in the bag is a little too heavy for me.

My pack is not big enough, and the thing I'm planning to take with me is too heavy to carry on my back. I'm not Ralph; I don't have his strength. This is the only way I can do if I want to take this object with me to the Internet.

Now I just need to…

"Hey RJ! You in there?"

I yelp and glitch, my heaving bag sliding off my shoulder. As it lands noisily on the ground, the door to my room creaks open and my brother peeks inside. His hand on the handle, Ralph looks at me, then at the bag on the floor, then back at me again. I gulp, hoping he won't ask anything about what I'm about to do.

He doesn't.

"Hey, what's with all the getup?" He asks, curious. "You heading on a journey?"

Okay, now he does, in a way.

"Uh…sorta." I say, stammering. I'm a _terrible_ liar; like, really, really terrible. If lying somehow became a subject, I'm certain I'll get straight D-minuses. Many of my lies get busted moments later they leave my lips, and so I learnt to steer around the topic instead of answering falsely directly. And that's exactly what I do. "Yeah, I'm meetin' with a friend of mine…yes, a friend. And…yeah, gonna bring some stuff along."

"Really?" Ralph asks me, his eyebrows raised. _Uh oh! I can't let him know!_

"Yeah, why not?" I reply. "I mean, since Vanny's gone I think I better find some more friends, right? I mean, yer not the only one who's allowed to hang out, right?"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Time out. Time out." Ralph says, spreading out his hands in defense. "Now, I don't mean that, I really don't. It's just that…I'm just worried."

"About what?" I ask, taking off my backpack and walking to my brother. "Listen: I won't leave ya like Vanny did. I won't. Yer my brother, 'tis place is my home, and I ain't bored of it. I won't leave, Ralph, I won't!"

"No, it's just that…" Ralph sighs holds something out to me. It turns out to be a file. "Your reports just came back."

"My what?" I ask, confused.

"Your reports, on your Glitch." Ralph says "You went to the hospital for Dr. Dey's appointment last week, for your regular code checkup. You remember that, right?"

Oh, right.

After my second unlocking, my Glitch had become more and more unstable. Dr. Dey, the character who managed to save my life, had became the official doctor for my conditions, and had instructed me to report to the hospital for regular check-ups to make sure my code isn't going haywire. Usually, I have my appointments about once or twice a month, but recently they've become a bit more frequent, like one to two weeks between checkups.

I take the file from Ralph and flip through the papers, making a face as I do so. "Let's see…'Code abnormality detected, energy of Glitch increasin', code might not be able to handle huge power surges because of Glitch, yadda yadda yadda. What does he want us to know?"

"Beats me; you're not the only one who gets lost when Dey speaks." Ralph says. "But what I think he is saying is that your Glitch is becoming more and more unstable."

"Well, my code has _always_ been unstable;" I say "Didn't he know that already?"

"Yeah, but…he wouldn't say it explicitly if he didn't think it was a problem." Ralph thinks aloud. "And I'm gonna be straight with you, RJ; you have been flickering more frequently, and you've even had a Glitch Attack. Don't you think that's something to worry about?"

I freeze, recalling the moment when the Glitch Attack came out of nowhere when I was visiting _Sugar Rush_ with my brother. One second, my code was fine; and the next thing I knew I was on the ground, rolling and crying uncontrollably as my code was ripped apart again and again and again, flashing in painful pulses of light as I do so. Luckily, Ralph was able to see the Attack just before it hit me, and had wrestled the stabilizer off my chest before I fell to the ground. I don't even want to know what would have happened if my stabilizer hadn't been pulled off at the right moment; it is scary just to think about it, let alone experiencing a portion of it.

Seriously: A Glitch Attack is nothing to mess with, especially for a character with such unstable coding like me. One wrong move, and it might be good-bye for good for me.

Slowly taking in what my brother is saying, I sigh again and put the file onto my bed behind me. "Look," Ralph says "You and I both know how much trouble you're in if your code gets haywire. Your Glitch's becoming more unstable, and also more powerful. This is the third stabilizer you've broken in three months!"

I start to reply, but my brother cuts me off before I can start. "I'm just doing this for your own good, Ralph Jerome. Vanellope is no longer here, and I don't want to lose you too."

I let out yet another sigh "Look, Ralph. I'll be _fine_. I'll be totally fine. I'll check on my Glitch, I won't let it go crazy. I control it, not the other way round, and I plan to keep it that way."

"I know you'd say that, but…" Ralph puts his head in his hand and sighs, "Look, I have to be down at _Pac-Man_ tonight. Some guys clogged up the tunnels with several boulders and I really hope that you're not the one behind this." He finishes with a glaring look.

"Whoa, Ralph, whoa! Do ya really think I'm able to push several big, heavy boulders with 'tis strength and unstable codin' of mine?" I ask, gesturing to my body. "C'mon. Ya know who I am, and ya know really well if I'm able to pull somthin' off. Ya should be able to know if I'm able to do 'tis!"

I'm not lying, I did not put the boulders last night, I don't even know where the dudes got the boulders from! But at the same time, I cannot prove my innocence. I can't. I cannot tell Ralph I was on the Internet last night.

"That's what I've been telling them, that you're not the one behind this. Although your pranking streak isn't really helping much…" Ralph trails off "Anyhoo, gotta get there to clear the place up before Bad-Anon starts, I'm the only guy that can do the job. So…yeah, I think I won't see you again until next morning, just like last night. So…take good care of your code, check if your Glitch is causing trouble or not. I just want you alive, not a hard task, right?"

I nod.

"Good." Ralph closes the door. "Stay safe. I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay, see ya."

The door clicks shut. I whistle and lie down on the bed, staring at the ceiling. After our conversation, I kinda feel bad for not telling Ralph what I'm about to do next. It's true: I have been glitching much more frequently lately, and I know for a fact the stabilizers are supposed to last for at least six months before replacement. The reason behind all of this is still inconclusive, but I have a hunch that it's because I've developed a new power: the Glitch Shock, which converts my Glitch into an electric shock for the cost of my code's stability. So far, I think no one in the arcade has reported to have such a power. Sure, I know a dude or two down at Street Fighter has electric powers, but this is different in my case: their code is still stable no matter how many times they shock characters.

I can see why Ralph is worried about me, but what choice do I have? I have to do this.

After waiting a few more minutes after Ralph left, I pick up both bags and slip out of my home, heading towards the WiFi portal. Having gone onto the Internet just yesterday, my second trip is much, much easier this time. Pulling up my hood, I leap onto the platform and as expected, the capsule forms around me and sends me down the cable. Again, the same string of numbers that make up my IP address rings up above me, but it is too fast for me to mark them down. Luckily, the character that aided me to return gave me a slip of paper with my IP address on it, so that I can go home much more easily now. No more tedious work of searching my IP address from thousands of results, nope! I'm not going through that again.

Soaring above the sparkling Internet city again, I can't help but gasp in awe at everything I see. Even though I'm here just yesterday, the world seems so different, as if it has changed the very moment I left, awaiting my next arrival with new surprises.

As if the city's beckoning me to start a brand-new adventure…

 _Focus, RJ, focus! You're on the Internet with a mission!_ I scold myself. _The sightseeing can wait, you have much more important business to care about now! And besides…you don't want to carry that heavy load with you all around, right?_

As soon as I finish the thought, I reach the hub, landing much more gracefully than the last time. Immediately, I head straight towards the SearchBar…and the purple egg sitting behind the counter. I know, I hate being grilled by KnowsMore, but what choice do I have here?

I have to get all the time I can.

"FactChecker dot com!" I shout, and slam my hand on the very first result that pops up. I remember this was the last website I visited before I went down to the Older Net. I am in such a hurry, I didn't even let KnowsMore interrupt me before I am encased in a pad, zooming to my website. I can hear him calling behind me, telling me to stay just a bit longer. but I just wave back instead of answering. I don't have time for answers right now. No, not right now.

As I travel along the road, I can't help but peek out of the glass walls once more. Just like when I entered the Internet for the second time, the sights of the city seemed different the moment I returned, offering loads of new stuff to me. When I arrived yesterday, this was definitely not the first website I've been, nor is it the website I traveled to via the SearchBar, but the road seems familiar, yet different at the same time.

I place both hands on the glass wall and stick my face to it, glancing out at the high sparkling buildings, the other pods moving all around me, the netizens doing their daily jobs, the avatars all trying to get to their destination without bumping each other, the random character with a huge faded poncho running around the buildings…

Wait what?

I jerk my head back in that direction, and I see him. My brother's clone, running around a building towards something in the distance, his poncho flapping violently as he does so. Looks like I'd caught him on one of his trips to the Internet.

I bang my hand against the wall, but it would not budge, not until I reached my destination website. I bang my hand, but again nothing happened. With a grunt, I manage to glitch out of the pod and clumsily land on the ground in front of the building, knocking out two avatars off the edge as I do so. "Sorry," I apologize as the avatars fall downwards below the roads, out of my sight. "Stupid avatars." I mutter as I pull my hood further down my face. Standing up, I look around in the crowd, trying to find the character I'm looking for.

I turn my head, and I see him. At where I'm at, I can see he's going towards some stalls set up near the building. They don't look like to be large stalls, but from what I can see they do offer some pretty neat stuff. One of the netizens is laying out brightly-colored blankets, another is polishing some glass vases, yet another is preparing some freshly-baked rolls on dozens of baskets.

Along with several avatars, I start towards the stalls. I see some of the avatars taking out something from their pockets. I assume that you have to pay something to get the stuff on the stalls.

Just then, 'Ralph' turns in my direction, and yelping, I glitch behind a nearby booth, ducking out of his sight. _Please don't let him see me, please don't!_ I plead, hoping he'll won't come in my direction to confront me.

He glances at the spot where I just stood for a few moments, and then shakes his head as he continues walking towards the stalls. I breathe out a sigh of relief. _Good, he hasn't seen me, he hasn't._ I look up from my hiding spot, spying on 'Ralph' to see what he wants to do.

With the _swoosh_ of the poncho, I see the clone kneel down under one of the stalls, just out of the netizen's sight. He glances upwards, trying to see what the stalls have in store for him.

I'm guessing he wants the rolls.

Silently, 'Ralph' takes out a piece of debris out of his pocket, probably from the dump back home. He squeezes one eye shut and swings his hand back and forth slightly, as if aiming his throw. A moment later, the debris flies off his grasp and sails towards the stalls, towards the unsuspecting characters.

 _CRASH!_ The avatars and netizens squeal as the stalls fall around them, the rolls and blankets and vases spilling and clattering onto the ground. The glass vases land on the ground, shattering into a thousand sharp pieces. While the netizens try and salvage anything unbroken from the mess, the avatars scatter, rushing away from the scene. One of the netizens starts a fight with the character standing next to her, shouting and punching him for ruining her goods.

Through the chaos, I see 'Ralph' quickly pluck up a half-basketful of rolls, tucks them under his poncho, and runs away from the stalls. The netizens are still arguing over the mess, their fight more intense than ever, totally unaware that an unexpected thief has just paid them a visit.

I see the poncho flapping in the distance, and I chase after it, diving once again into the maze of alleys. I don't think this is the same pathway I travelled through yesterday, but soon I see the familiar set of railings barring the road in front of me, and I slow down to a jog. Just like the last time, I locate and carefully climb down the ladder, feeling my way as I get down. I can tell that this was not the same ladder I used yesterday, but eventually I reach the ground at the bottom, the environment dark and dusty around me.

I am back in the Older Net.

I give myself a moment to adjust to the darkness, then I try to locate where I am. In the dim lighting and the huge pile of dust, every single one of the fallen websites seem so familiar. I can tell this is not the place I went yesterday, but I don't know where I should go.

That's when I hear it: Faint footsteps trotting through the Older Net. I cannot pinpoint the location of the sound, but at least I can tell where it is coming from, and so I go in that direction. Sure enough, I can see 'Ralph' running right past me, the basket clutched tightly in his hands. He doesn't see me, so I silently follow him over websites and debris, trying not to let him know he's not alone.

Soon, we reach the place where I met him yesterday. Hiding behind a website, I look as 'Ralph' carefully sets his basket on the ground, then carefully pulls his poncho off and folding it to the side. He then takes the basket, gives it a heavenly sniff, and starts to pull several rolls out at the same time, devouring one after the other in seconds. I should feel sorry for him, but I can't, not after what I've seen him do just now.

"Should have thought twice before thinkin' of helpin' ya, ya lil' thief." I scoff as I move out of my hiding spot.

The half-eaten roll drops from his hand, and 'Ralph' looks up to me, finally realizing that he's not the only one in the Older Net. He glances around, nervous, as if trying to see if there is anyone other than the two of us hiding in the dump as well.

After checking that no one else is around, he grabs the roll back up, dusts it, and wolfs it down while reaching for another one.

"Stupid idea, thinkin' that I would actually go and help ya scumbag." I mutter, kicking up dust. "Don't know why I'd even made ya sandwiches."

The roll drops once more from 'Ralph's' hand as he turns to me with a shocked expression. Picking and shoving the roll into his mouth, he pushes the basket aside and cocks his head, as if trying to process what I just said.

"Well, I'm not gonna take these back, so…" I sigh and reach into my pack, tossing the sandwich bag towards 'Ralph'. I have thought that the clone would have run and catch the bag before it hit the ground, but no, no; he just lets it fall to the ground. I think he's still pretty stunned by my sudden appearance and my words.

"Go on, if ya want ya can eat it." I say, glancing at the bag on the ground, the sandwiches visible. "'Tis all yers."

A few more seconds of awkward silence pass as neither of us move. Then very slowly, the clone crawls out from his spot and snatches up the sandwiches from the ground. He turns the bag, sniffing and inspecting it carefully, as if he's not believing what he is holding in his hands.

"Hey." I say, but the clone is still mesmerized by my sandwiches, and so I say louder, snapping my fingers "Hey!"

'Ralph's' gaze moves away from the sandwiches and looks up at me. Good, I now have his attention. I take a deep breath, as I know what I'm about to say can change my life forever.

I hold my breath for a few more seconds, then I let it out and start to speak.

"Look. I want to help, I really want to." I say, walking "I mean, ya don't deserve 'tis. Yeah, ya did destroy the Internet, and yer a viral clone, that's for sure. But…I don't think ya shouldn't deserve a second chance. Everyone deserves a second chance. Everyone."

I hear scribbling, and I turn to see a response written on the whiteboard. _Me too?_

"Yes, ya too." I reply. "But we can't do it if ya continue to steal stuff like that. We need to set some rules here if we really become friends."

As soon I mention the word 'friend', the clone perks his head up, and starts nodding it furiously, as if he's suddenly interested in what I have to say. And frankly, I don't blame him. After all, that's the only thing on his mind, right?

"First off: stealin' things, that's a huge no-no." I say, waving my finger. "Ya have to kick that off. Here in the dump, no one comes to take their stuff back, but that's not the same up there. Ya cannot just take somethin' without payin' them."

 _I don't have anything to pay with._ The clone argues back.

Oh, I haven't thought of that. Yeah, that's a possible reason of why 'Ralph' has to steal. Back home, when we headed to _Tapper's_ , we had to pay with coins for our drinks, but who knows if they'll accept it here? I don't even know how the online currency system works!

But whether that or not, stealing is still not acceptable. At least, by me, anyway.

"Look, I'll think of somethin'. The Internet 'tis so big; we'll get money one way or another. But ya really can't steal anymore. Ya can't. From now on, 'tis over, period. Ya hear that?"

'Ralph' nods. _Okay._

"Good," I say "'cuz I'm about to move on to the second point."

The clone looks at me intensely, waiting for what I want him to do. I let out a deep sigh, and then I continue.

"Teach me sign language."

The board clatters to the ground as 'Ralph' looks at me with utter shock, as if he's not believing what I just said. Grabbing the board off the ground, he swiftly writes a single word on it. _What?!_

I make a reading gesture with my hands "Teach…" I then point a finger at myself "me…" I stop pointing, and using my right palm as paper, start to 'write' on it "sign…" I start 'writing' again, this time on the air in front of me, fingering out some letters "language."

I hear giggling, and I turn to see 'Ralph' trying hard not to laugh, yet his smile gives it away. _That's not how you sign it._ He writes, and puts down his board. He holds up both hands near his head, grips his fingers together, and waves them back and forth. _Teach_. He mouths, before pointing a finger at his chest. _Me._ With both hands pointing at the center, he twirls both hands before moving them to the sides, his thumbs sticking out and his index finger pointing upwards as he does so. _Sign language_. He finishes, letting both his hands fall.

Yikes, that was super embarrassing.

"Ha ha, very funny." I say in a slightly annoyed tone, my face reddening. "But seriously: teach me yer language. I want to understand what yer sayin' without yer board. I want to learn yer language. Teach me, help me understand."

'Ralph' has stopped grinning, and is now looking straight at me. _Really?_ He asks.

"Yes." I say again. "Teach me."

 _You really want me to teach you?_ He asks.

"Yes."

For a while, 'Ralph' looks at me, his face clouded with confusion as he tries to understand why I would request such a thing.

"Yer not just a clone." I say, remembering the other character's similar backstory. "Ya can be somethin' more. I mean, just look at me: I'm an absolute klutz at sign language! Ya can teach me! Show me that yer somethin' more than a clone of Ralph. Show me."

'Ralph' is still frozen, unable to choke up a response for me. From where I am standing, I can see he is desperately trying to pull himself together, but he can't, he just can't.

"All ya have to do 'tis to make the first step…"

I can see he's still confused, but he nods his head anyway. He's crying, hard, but realizes it and wipes his tears off his shirt before turning back to me.

I would have been crying too if I have been given the chance. Like, who wouldn't?

"So…Ya want to be my friend?" I ask, stretching out my hand.

 _"Friend?"_ The clone repeats, hesitating as he does the same with his hand.

I nod my head. This might be the worst decision I've made in my life, but there's no turning back now.

It's now or never.

"Friend." I say, taking the clone's hand and shaking it, sealing the deal.

'Ralph'

Is this real?

Am I dreaming?

Is this character, the stranger that I met yesterday, saying that he wants to become my friend?

This is absurd!

Why would he do that?

Why would he?

I know I can't ask, but I know for a fact that this may be my only chance at friendship. If I don't, I may never have another chance to making a friend.

I can't lose this chance.

I can't.

I take the stranger's hand, feeling a slight tingle of electricity run through my fingertips as I do so. The stranger smiles as he shakes my hand, as if pleased that I've made such a decision.

Whether that's a good thing or not, I don't know.

My stomach growls, and I loosen my grip and turn back to my spot. I see the basket with the rolls on the ground, but I suddenly have a dislike to them, as if I don't want to eat them anymore. I remember the sandwiches the stranger gave me, and so I tear open the bag and nibble into one of them. They tasted strange (no pun intended), with ingredients that I cannot identify, but are somehow more edible than the rolls.

"Oh, and I don't think I've properly introduced myself yet." The stranger says, cocking his head. "I'm RJ."

 _Arrjay?_

 _What kind of a name is that?_

Hesitantly, I take the board and write what I think is his name on it. This time it was _Arrjay_ struggling not to laugh. "Nah, not like that." He grins "'Tis just two letters, R and J."

Oh, I get it now; _RJ._

Still kinda strange to make your name from two letters, though.

The stranger, _RJ_ , turns and sets a bag on the ground in front of me. "Ya don't want me to call ya Ralph, right?"

Instantly, I shake my head, to the point I fear I would become dizzy. No, not _Ralph_ , never _Ralph_. I don't want any connection to the character that I was cloned from, and I would like to keep it that way. The less he knows about me, the better.

"Knew ya'd say that." RJ gestures to the bag "Got a flashlight in there. Go and pick yerself a new name. 'Tis okay, no hurryin', take yer time. I'm gonna go and leave ya with 'tis while I try and find ways to get some moolah for the both of us. 'Tis that alright by ya?"

Not knowing how to respond, I just nod my head.

"I'll take it as a 'yes', then." RJ says, stepping away from me "Oh, and the book's borrowed, so try not to damage it, okay?"

Again, I just nod my head.

"Good. See ya." RJ smiles, and then with a flash, he glitches away from the Older Net, leaving me alone again.

 _RJ. What a strange dude, with such a strange name and a strange power and a strange personality and a strange taste of sandwiches, yet strangely, also seems very familiar to me…_

 _I like him._

Glancing at the bag on the ground, I pull it to me and open it slightly. It feels really heavy. Carefully, I tilt the bag to let it contents fall out, curious to see what RJ has left me.

The object is thick and blocky, slightly uneven on three sides but smooth on one. Something has rolled to a stop on my feet, so I reach down to feel what it is. As I pick the thing up, my finger brushes across something like a button, and a beam of light shoots out of the thing. Startled, I drop the thing and scramble backwards quickly, the thing spinning as it clatters to the ground, the ray of light shining away from me.

What is this thing?

Wait, I think I might have seen something like this before…

Oh, a flashlight! I think RJ was carrying one last time. Was this the same one had used yesterday when he was down here?

 _Try not to damage this, then._ I think to myself, clasping my fingertips and plucking the flashlight off the ground, trying my best not to leave any dents or markings on it. It is then I remember the other object in the bag, and I crawl over to it.

I shine my flashlight upon the object. My guess wasn't that far off: the object is blocky and thick, but it is something that I can pry open easily. On top of the object are four words in capitalized letters.

 _THE BOOK OF NAMES_.

RJ's words flash back to me _"Got a flashlight in there. Go and pick yerself a new name."_

Wait, so is it true?

Can I give myself a new name?

Can I be someone other than _Ralph_?

Can I?

I look down at the book again, resisting to see what lies for me inside. I really want a new name, I really do, but I fear I end up choosing a name that I don't think I'm worthy of, that I'm forced to change my choice when RJ hears about it.

I don't deserve to give myself a new name.

I don't.

I really don't.

Why am I even doing this anyway?

Stretching my foot, I try to shift the book away as far as I possibly can, but I cannot do it, as if the book is stuck to the ground, refusing to budge.

 _Yer can be somethin' more…_

Wait, can I?

Can I really be something more than a clone of Ralph?

Can I?

 _All ya have to do 'tis to make the first step…_

Right, first step…

I just have to do it, right?

I take one more look at the book, and breath in tightly.

 _Okay, here goes nothing…_

Tucking the flashlight between my fingers, I pull _THE BOOK OF NAMES_ right in front of me, hunch over it, and open its pages.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey guys! Sorry for the LONG delay: this chapter was much harder than I expected. It isn't even the final product: the end is a bit different in my original script, but it was too long so I had to cut it down.**

 **Anyhoo, enjoy, and sorry again for the delay!**

* * *

Chapter 9

RJ

 _What the Hell are you doing, Ralph Jerome?!_

As I race back out of the alleys, a voice begins scolding me over and over again. _Are you kidding me?! You're really gonna go and earn money just for that useless thing?_

 _SHUT UP!_ I yell back in my mind. _He needs help, and I'm gonna help him_.

With a flying leap, I glitch out of the alleys and land in front of the buildings. Just as I am about to land, though, a random avatar comes out of nowhere in front of me, and unable to stop myself, my prosthetic strikes against it, sending it flying into somewhere I don't know.

 _Darn these stupid things! Why do you even exist on the Internet?!_ I think, and then I refocus my mind. _Right, so…yeah, I gotta make some money. Gotta help him…_

All of a sudden, something stops me abruptly, freezing me in my steps.

Was the voice right after all?

Did I do the wrong thing?

Should I help 'Ralph'?

Yeah, it's true, I just know him. And I know that he might be lying about himself, that he might be a very dangerous being, ready to strike when I least know it…

He may be a real threat to the Internet once more…

I shake my head, swatting my thoughts away. No. Even if the character I'm helping, or trying to help, has a dangerous background, has the power to cause mass destruction, has a reason not to be trusted…I still got to help him. If I don't, then I'll be certain his fate will be the same as the character I know, that it is far too late for him to get a second chance…

I look up at the building behind me, tall with a huge sign which said _eBay_. Okay, so this is definitely one of the websites that I haven't been to before. I can see a lot of avatars going in and out, though. Wonder what's in there…

Maybe I'll know when I get to chance to explore inside.

"Hey man! Wanna get rich playing video games?"

Wait, who said that?

I turn a head, just to see a green character dressed in shaggy clothing, clutching a board in his hands. Every now and then, he bends down to an avatar, holding out his board to them. But even as he does so, I can tell that he's having a hard time promoting his business.

"No, really. This is not a joke. I can tell you how to get money by playing video games, just come with me and I'll tell you."

"WAIT, HOLD UP, HOLD UP!"

The avatar that the character is promoting to gets knocked out as I take his position, and the character, startled by my appearance, leaps back in fright. As soon as he realizes that I can be his next potential customer, he calmly picks up his board and smiles at me. "Well, sir. How can I help you today?"

"Did ya just said that I can get rich quick by playin' video games?" I ask, anxious.

The character laughs nervously, "Well…you better bet you can! Click here to find out how!" He whips out his board, and now I can see words printed on it: _"WANNA GET RICH PLAYING VIDEO GAMES?"_

Oh wow! Just barely a minute after trying to find a way to get money on the Internet and such a great solution pops out at me? Wow! I can't believe it! I smile, and start to place my hand on the board…

Hang on.

Wait a minute.

This can't be right. There's no such thing as a free lunch. There must be a catch, there must be. There must be something I don't know about this deal.

I clear my throat and let out a nervous laugh. Then slowly, slowly, I withdraw my hand and put it back on my side. "Uh…ya said that ya can get money by playing video games…so what does that exactly mean? " I ask hesitantly. " Do ya go in and compete against the other players, or do ya…

"Oh, you do go into the games and compete." The character explains "But that's not the main point here. You see, in every game, the programmers have hidden weapons and trinkets for players to collect and use them in the game. Some of them are very common, but some are much, much rarer, since they give huge advantages to the wielders. Some players really want that advantage, but they always can't seem to get it via normal ways in the games, someone always beats them to it…"

"So…" I begin, slowly having a vision of what he is about to say next in my mind.

"That is where you come in, my friend." The character says, beaming at me. "Your job is to go into the game, find and collect those hidden advantages, and bring them to me so I can sell on my website to the players! It's just like a scavenger hunt! You just need to find the objects; I'll do the rest and give you back what you deserve. Now, I don't have my leaflets with me, but let me give you an example: a certain game has an Ice Blade hidden on their maps, and the wielder can have deadly aim defeating his foes. You can win the game just by having this sword! One of my clients has gone into the game, grabbed that sword against all the other players, gave it to me, and I sold it for like five-hundred bucks online. Great deal, right?"

"So ya actually have to go into the game?" I ask.

"Yep! As a player! But remember, a lot of players are aiming for the same hidden weapons, so I gotta say that this is not an easy task. That client I just mentioned, he went in twelve times before securing the Blade and handing to me."

"What happened to the other eleven times?"

"Oh, he got eliminated." The character shrugged. "But that's alright, he can join in the next game. No big deal."

No, that's a huge problem. That's a huge problem for me! I might look like a citizen on the Internet, but deep down, I know I'm a video game character with a game to call home, and it's certainly not the one the character is directing me to. The players? Come on! They're human users! They don't need to be afraid of getting killed or eliminated! They died? Fine! Regenerate and join in again! Me? One swipe and I'll be gone! Glitch powers or not, I can't be certain that I'll make it out alive, especially when I'm competing for something that means a lot to everyone…

The odds are greatly against me. If I die, let alone getting no money, I won't be able to see my brother, my friends, and the character that I wanted to help. I can't accept this, this is too much for me to bet on.

I wave my hand at the character. "No, I'm sorry. I can't accept yer deal. I can't risk it."

"Wha-what do you mean?" The character asks me back, confused. "What do you mean, you can't risk it?"

"I just can't do it." I say again. "Thanks for yer advice anyhoo. I'll find somethin' else." I turn and start to walk away.

"Wait, sir, sir!" The character runs up behind me, waving his board. "Look! I can take you to my site! I can show you more! Please, let me-"

"I SAID NO!"

The character stumbles back, the board clattering to the ground. It is then I noticed both my hands have clenched into fists, sparkling and glitching with power. With my sudden shouting and my Glitch, I can understand why the character was so afraid of me.

There is an awkward silence between us for a while, then carefully I start to talk. "Look, I'm really sorry for shoutin' at ya earlier, it was my fault. But unfortunately, I cannot take yer offer. Findin' and competin' against tens or hundreds of players at the same time really isn't somethin' for me. I'm sorry, I really am. But I would really appreciate it if ya happen to have another solution up yer sleeves."

The character sighs and looks up at me, all while shoving the board behind his back. "Well, I do have another solution, but it's not one that I'm specified in. Simply put, I'm just a messenger for this next idea here. But…" He sighs again, and he walks away to a corner outside the building, where he picks up another board. He then comes back over to me with the new board.

"Have you tried _BuzzzTube_? People can earn money there."

 _BuzzzTube_ …Yeah, I think I've heard of that website before in one of the search websites. But I can't remember what it is…

The character catches my confused expression, and he tries to explain for me. "It's a video-sharing site. People go up there to make videos, and the more hearts they get on their videos, the more money they can get. I mean, I myself would stick to video games, but I cannot deny that someone did make big bucks on that site in eight hours; and by big, I mean it: the guy took home over thirty grand just by his videos! Quite a feat, right?"

"So who's that guy?" I ask, excited. Maybe this is my true solution to this problem! I can make videos, and that guy managed to earn loads off his videos! Maybe that's what I'll do!

Meanwhile, the character holds up his board to me. "This guy."

I look down at the board, and I gasp, crumbling to the ground in astonishment. I would have gone into a panic attack if my code had suddenly gone haywire.

For of all the characters in the world that I would imagine to see on the board, I've never thought the face would be an 8-bit version of my brother's.

"You know this guy?"

It is the character's question that made me realize that I'm breathing rapidly, and I'm starting to glitch beyond my control. Gritting my teeth, I calm myself down, stand up, and turn to the character. "Yes…I know him. I've seen before."

Obvious answer, yes, but I can't let the character know that he's my brother.

The character brushes his hand lightly on the board. After my shock, I am able to make out the words on the board: _EXCLUSIVE WRECK-IT RALPH VIDEOES: CLICK HERE!_ "This is supposed to be the job of the _BuzzzTube_ Pop-up Army, but Yesss thinks that it would be better to have a few more pop-ups around to advertise this. Ralph's fame has died down for a while, but she thinks it is good to get some users watching his videos every now and then."

I am silent. Ralph has never told me anything about making videos on the Internet! He has never told me that he tried to make money through _BuzzzTube_! First, the Crash, and now this! How much more can Ralph hide from me? How much?

"Hey."

I blink, and look back down. "You want to head over there?"

I look at the board again, at my brother's face and the site which might hold the solution to my problems, and possibly more answers to my questions. Sure, like with the previous solution, I don't know much about _BuzzzTube_ , but odds are that this is a better, and possibly safer solution for me. And maybe when I find my brother's videos, I can know more about his journey, more about the trip that he never told me…

I think it's a shot worth taking.

"Yup." I say, placing my hand on the board. Instantly, a pod, greatly similar to the ones I travelled from site to site except it is tinted red, forms around me. As I zoom away, I wave back at the character, hoping that this _BuzzzTube_ indeed lays the solution of how to make money on the Internet…

* * *

 _"ARRRRRUGH! ! ! !"_ I scream as the pod vanishes under my feet, sending me crashing to the ground. The avatars swiftly avoided me as they filed into _BuzzzTube_ , as if they knew that I was about to fall.

Looks like I can never really get used to the Internet…

 _"I'M GONNA WRECK IT! ! ! ! ! ! !"_

Wait, that sounds like my brother's voice! _Is he here?_ I think frantically, turning my head from side to side as I look around.

A moment later, Ralph shouts his catchphrase again, and I look up. There, in the huge video screen just steps away from me, my brother has his fists raised, yelling as something blows at his face, slurring his words. I know I should be fearful of my brother, but the entire scene is so comical I cannot help barking out a laugh.

I slowly get up from the ground and make my way towards the screen. As I walk further, it soon became clear that Ralph's screen is just one of many, many others that are present. All around me, screens are everywhere, each and every one of them showing something different. On one screen, a person is being kicked in the face; on another, two people are screaming as they something disgusting down their mouths. Shaking my head, I continue walking.

Soon, I reach the screen with Ralph's video. Strangely, it seems like this is a short video, yet it is being repeated over and over again. I hear laughter, and I am relieved that I'm not the only character amused by Ralph's actions. In the bottom of the screen, I see the words _'Leafblower Guy'_ , possibly the title of the video. Just underneath it, the number of views is seen: 21112018. Right next to it, there is another number with a heart symbol on it, this one at a number of 2112012; not as much as the first, but still impressive nonetheless. I cock my head, what do those hearts mean? Are they something can be gained, or…

A female avatar appears next to me, and starts laughing hard at my brother. She holds up her hand and rubs her fingers, and suddenly, a heart appears out of nowhere, clasped in her grasp. She releases it, letting her heart get sucked up by a huge vacuum that some netizens were holding. At the same time, the number next to the heart symbol increases by one. As more and more avatars produce their hearts, I linked the two and two together, realizing what is happening. Oh, so the hearts are basically the way you give to a video if you like it. Cool!

Wanting to show support to my brother as well, I try to mimic the avatars' actions, rubbing my fingers together to create a heart, but so far it is pointless. As one of the hearts drifts by me, I reach out and grab it, holding the delicate thing for a mere second before releasing it to the air. There! At least in a way I can say that's my heart, that I've given support in some way to my brother.

"Um, sir, what are you doing?"

I stop in my tracks, then I slowly turn around. Just behind me, a male character, smartly clad in shades of purple and holding a folder, is standing. He tips his glasses slightly, and then starts to walk towards me. "What are you doing, sir?" He asks again.

"Um, I…I'm just tryin' to, uh…show support to 'tis guy. Ya know, his videos look funny." I stammer, wringing my arms about. Ugh, I hate myself at these times! Hate myself that I'm so bad at lying!

"Well, of course!" The character says "But I'm afraid you can't do that: hearts can only be made by the avatars and you're definitely not one of them. You can, however, still give support to the creators, just not in the direct form of hearts. I mean, you can still give hearts, but you can give something else too. The only problem with that is you need to do all of that manually with your account, which…you do have one, right?"

"Uh…" I glance sideways, not sure what he meant by 'my account'. "No…? I…I don't really understand. I don't understand everythin'."

"Ah, a newbie. You're new here, I see." The character reassures me. "If you want answers to how to open an account, I'll take you up to Yesss." He offers.

"Wait, wait, wait. Yes?" I ask? "I heard somethin' like that before, but what do ya mean by that?"

"Oh, Yesss, with three s-es, is the name of our Head Algorithm. Basically, she runs the whole site."

"Yesss? Ya serious? That's a name for someone that important?" I ask again, cocking my head.

The character taps his glasses, giving me a funny look. "Look, my name's Maybe. It's not much better than Yesss', to be honest."

I stare at the character, _Maybe_ , and nod my head. "Okay, take me up to her, then."

Maybe walks away from the crowds and screens, and I follow him up a few staircases and a few corridors, until we reach a grand-looking door. Maybe carefully opens the door and ushers me inside.

"Whoa!" Maybe gasps as we walk into the room, swarming with avatars and netizens. Almost all of them are holding boards and tapping on them, some of which are glowing. At the back of the room, I can see a table, where a blue-skinned character with a shiny fur coat is leaning over a table, barking out orders every now and then. With her trendy appearance and her demeanor, I guess this must be Yesss.

"I didn't know it was that serious…" Maybe mutters to himself.

"What?" I ask, curious. "What is so serious?"

"Oh, one of our servers crashed a few hours ago. If you're here earlier, you won't even be able to see the videos from the lobby below. But while we found technicians to fix the problem, a fair number of avatars and characters still have problems uploading their videos. They've all been directed here since our Tech Division is already pretty clogged up, so…yeah." He waves his hand at me. "Come on." And he leads me to where Yesss is sitting.

Even before she looked up at us, Yesss somehow sensed that someone is comng to her table. She rolled her eyes before looking back at her own board. "What's this? Another failed account? If it is not too personal or serious, then send him away to the Tech Division. My hands are full now."

"Yeah, but…" Maybe replies, stammering a bit "This guy here has problems of opening an account, and maybe…you can help him?"

"Yeah, I mean," I jump in "I saw a video I really like downstairs, but I don't know how to give support to the creators so…" I shrug my shoulders causally…only to see Yesss has finally looked up, and her jaw is nearly touching her table.

"Wait…are you…are you him?"

"Who?" Maybe asks, confused as he taps his glasses. "Who's…who?"

Uh oh.

No.

No no no no no no no.

No!

I look around the room. Fortunately, only Yesss and Maybe seem to be reacting at my appearance. I tug on my hood further and glance around the room. Slowly, I back away from the table. This is bad; this is really, really bad. Maybe if I can blend myself into the crowd, the two netizens will forget about me and I'll be able to get away…

"Security! Apart from the character in the green jacket, get everyone out of my room to the Tech Division ASAP!" Yesss barks, pointing at the door.

 _Darn, I'm trapped._

"But…miss…"

"NOW!" She yells, and that is enough for the guards to pick up or usher any remaining characters inside the room. It is chaos, as everyone is all heading to the door. Throughout it all, I try to lose myself into the crowd, making a beeline for the door, but I can feel a strong hand yanking my jacket back. "Let go!" I yell, turning around, but it was no use.

"Sorry, Yesss' orders. She must want you here for a reason." The bulky security guard whose the hand belonged to replies me solemnly. Dangling in the air, I sigh and let my arms fall to their sides, watching the number of characters in the room dwindle down as more avatars and netizens are led away. Eventually, the guard puts me carefully back on the ground, and leaves the room, closing the door behind him. Now it was just Yesss, Maybe, and me. I gulp, looking sideways and everywhere, basically trying to avoid the Head Algorithm's attention.

But alas, I cannot prevent the inevitable.

Yesss is breathing hard "Okay, so…can you take off your hood, please?"

"Um, why?" I ask back. My code is buzzing like mad, tensing up with nervousness. "What's the dealio?"

"Would you just do it?"

I sigh. This is it. This is really it. They're going to know who I am, and then they'll probably find a way to tell my brother! Ah, I'm so dead right now…

Closing my eyes, I reach behind my back, and whip the hood off my head.

 _This is it._ I breathe in and out tightly. _This is really it…_

"That hair, and face…it looks so familiar…" I hear Yesss say.

I can feel my Glitch crackling in fear. Why did I come to _BuzzzTube_ in the first place? Why? I had led myself to a trap, and now Ralph is going to know. I should have stuck with the character's offer and risk my code collecting advantages instead…

"Who are you?"

I open my eyes. I expected to see two angry faces stare back at me, but instead I see only confusion and surprise. Shouldn't they be angry at me being here? Shouldn't they?

"Who are you?" Yesss asks again.

"I…" I start to answer, but then KnowsMore's words of warning flash back in my mind. _Don't tell them who you are!_ "I…I don't want to answer." I say, reaching my hands back to grasp on my hood.

"I'm afraid I can't accept that for an answer!" Yesss shouts at me, her hands on hips. Boy! She's got some authority! "Let me ask you again: who are you?"

I shake my head. Yesss glares at me, with a gaze so tough that I'm forced to look away. "So…if you don't want to answer…I'll just go and ask Ralph who you are. I have a feeling that you're connected. Maybe you're his son, or maybe his cousin, or-whatever! I don't know! But you're definitely related in some way, I can feel it. I'm just gonna call him and see who you are."

"NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!" I scream, falling to my knees, crying. "Don't call Ralph! Don't! Don't tell him that I'm here! He can't know! Don't do it! I'll…I'll tell ya everythin'! Yes! Everythin'! Just ask and I'll tell ya! I promise! Just…just don't call him!"

Yesss' lips pinch up in a small smirk. She puts down a device in her hand on the table and comes over to me. "What's your name, then, young man?"

"I'm…" I stammer, trying hard to pull myself together "I'm…My name is RJ, stands for, uh, 'Ralph Jerome'. And…please! Please don't tell my brother that I'm here! He'll kill me if he found out!"

"Wait, 'your' brother? Ralph's your brother? He never told me that." Yesss throws at me with a suspicious tone.

"And he never told me that he went to 'tis site and made videos for money." I shoot back "From what I can see here, we're even."

"You got a point, and I quite like your temper." The Netizen gestures me to stand up. "However, I don't know if you're telling the truth, or that you're simply bluffing. I mean, you do have a bit of resemblance, but it's not so obvious."

"Oh come on! Why would I lie 'bout 'tis?" I argue "That's probably the last thing on everyone's mind after the Crash: who would want to be known as a relative of the character that nearly crashed their world into ruins?"

"Fair enough." Yesss turns back at me. "And if I remember correctly, Vanellope did tell me Ralph had a direct relative, but she didn't tell me who that character is. Maybe it's you, I don't know. But just to be on the safe side, I would like you a few questions that only that person will know. Vanellope devised those questions herself."

"Sheesh. When did ya suddenly become in charge of everythin'?" I mutter, shaking my head. When I see Yesss raising her eyebrow, though, I quickly snapped myself together. "Okay, I'm ready. Shoot."

"Okay. So first question:" Yesss reads from the small device in her hand. "What is something that Ralph really hates?"

"Chocolate, duh. Especially the dark ones." That's one easy.

"Favorite ice cream flavor?"

"Vanilla, cookies-and-cream, salted caramel, and strawberry." I say, tapping the answers off my fingers "Poor guy just couldn't make up his mind which is the best, but I can be certain that he'll have at least one or two Glacé cherries on top of each of his orders. Not the real ones, mind ya, since he thinks they don't go good together."

"Which part of his Wrecking Truck was broken?"

"I think the bumper. Vanellope wrecked it after she took it for a joyride in _Sugar Rush_ a while ago. He still had not gotten it fixed, wanted it as a memento, I think."

"Most annoying thing he's done?"

"The one time he dabbed for every ten minutes after he returned from the Internet?" I recall, cringing a bit "Hell, that was somethin' I'd really like to forget, and probably the entire arcade as well."

"His most prized procession?"

"His half of the 'You're my Hero' medal, of course!" I cry out. "He's like a mama bear with that thing; get too close and ya'll regret it for the rest of the week! Believe me," I roll up my right sleeve, exposing a patch of skin that is considerably redder than the rest of my arm. "I learnt it the hard way."

Yesss makes a face as she glances down at her device. I'm guessing that I managed to score every single question correctly.

"Okay, last question." Yesss asks "What was an event that made Ralph really mad that happened in the past few months?"

"The one time that I clamped ten mousetraps to every part of him while he's asleep?" I recall "I mean, he went on a wreckin' streak for _hours_ after that, yellin' and shoutin' and chasin' everyone in the game, and everyone thought he was insane; I think I set him real mad that time."

"THAT WAS YOU?!"

"Yeah, I mean…who can it be? Vanny doesn't even know where I got the traps from. We're plannin' to prank Ralph big-time soon if it weren't for the fact that she's now away."

Yesss sighs and looks up from the device. "So you're indeed the relative that Candy Girl spoke of. Sorry for my harshness earlier."

"Nah, no worries." I reassure the Head Algorithm.

"So how did you get here to BuzzzTube?" She asks me "I mean, you don't seem like a character who was interested in our videos to start with."

"Ah, ya got me." I laugh. "So I was in front of a site called _eBay_ and there was a green dude who held up a sign that said led to Ralph's videos. He also said that I can make money here. So…I clicked on the sign and here I am."

"That would be Spamley." Yesss gave a small smile. "I got him that sign so that there still be people coming to watch poor old Ralph's videos even after his incident on the Internet. Glad to see he's doing his job well."

"Yeah, gotta agree." I say. "I mean, I'd have never known he was an Internet Star if I haven't come here."

"Wait," Yesss looks straight at me, her jaw dropped in surprise. "He didn't tell you?"

"Yeah, I mean…can ya tell me? And also how to set up an account? I really need it."

"Sure. Sit down. Get us some drinks, Maybe." She smiles and guides me to two sofas near the huge window. Meanwhile, Maybe turns to the back of the room and starts preparing something I can't see. I'm guess it's the drinks Yesss was mentioning about earlier.

Not long after I sat down, the drinks arrive, and we start our long conversation…

* * *

"So let me get this straight: you want me to help you set up an account to make videos, so that you can use them to fund your friend, who happens to be a Ralph clone?" Yesss asks me, tapping her chin.

"Uh…yeah. Ya pretty much said it." I say.

"Well…" Yesss gets up from her chair and walks to the window, gesturing me to follow her. Just outside I can see the grand lobby where I entered BuzzzTube from, the various screens depicting different images around the world.

"Look, it's not that I don't want to help, but…" She sighs again, looking away from me.

"What?" I ask, anxious "What 'tis it?"

"It's that…" Yesss suddenly turns to Maybe. "Maybe, you are dismissed. Please leave the room."

"But-"

"I'm sorry." She lowers her head. "But I don't think you should hear this."

I can see Maybe is surprised, but at the same time I can feel a sudden uneasiness in the room, as if what she's about to tell me is something that she doesn't want anyone else to know.

There is a brief silence, and then Maybe nods his head. Without his boss looking, the netizen swiftly leaves the room. Yesss keeps her head down the entire time, not until the door gently clicks shut when she looks back up at me.

"You remember the Internet Crash that happened just a few months ago, right?" She asks.

"Yup," I reply, nodding. "So what's up with that?"

"Well, there was a car who was trying to get to the Anti-Virus District, remember?"

"Oh, that. Yes, I remember."

"Well…"

Yesss looks away from me, but then returns my gaze. "I was the driver of that particular car."

I reel back, unable to believe what I just heard. "Wait, so...durin' the Internet Crash…the clones were all chasin' ya?"

"Not…exactly. You see, Ralph and Vanellope were in the backseat."

"What?!"

I stumble backwards, almost falling to the floor. "What are they doin' there? Shouldn't they be hidin' like the rest of the netizens?"

"Well, you see, the clones were tearing the Internet apart, and one way to get rid of them was to lure them all to the Anti-Virus District, where they'll all get destroyed. Ralph noticed that they all wanted Vanellope, so I got my car, got them two in the backseat, and drove in that direction. It worked…for a while, the clones were following us, but then…"

Yesss looks away from the window, her back facing me. I can tell this is not a pleasant experience for her, and I shouldn't ask further. But I really want to know, I want to know what happens next…

She sighs "Never mind, I should continue. The clones gathered together and threw the car off-road, crashing into a nearby building. We tried to get our car back up, but before we can move, the clones have gathered to form a giant version of Ralph, threatening to get Vanellope. I still see that thing in my nightmares, it was terrifying."

"Can't blame ya for that, it's pretty horrifyin'." I admit, shivering a bit myself. "Ya told anyone about 'tis?"

"No, of course not." Yesss lets out a slight chuckle "I'll probably be surrounded twenty-four-seven by my guards if they found out their boss did such a 'reckless' thing. But, seriously." Her face knits back into a frown. "You see…they tried to hurt Vanellope. They wanted her. I tried my best to lead her away, but I cannot help think if I didn't agree to their plan then they couldn't have gathered together."

"Hey, don't feel bad. I mean, no one wants that to happen. It would have happened anyway if ya don't want to."

"Guess you're right…" Yesss mutters, shaking her head "But because of this, I can't really say that your 'friend' really is harmless. We're just recovering from the Crash and I can't let the chance of something bad starting it all over again."

"So that's why ya really don't want me to do 'tis." I say, the truth dawning on me. "Ya don't trust him yet."

"Look, as the Head Algorithm of the Internet's most popular video-sharing website, I've been through bullies, trolls, and hackers. I know there are rotten people in this world, and despite seeing many of them didn't really change their ways, I can see genuine improvement in some of them. Some users really do apologize for their actions, but with your 'friend'…"

Yesss sighs again as she continues. "I've been there, first-person, seeing how they harmed my friends. And…I don't know, I don't think I can trust your friend yet. I don't know if he has really changed. I can't. For the sake of Ralph and Vanellope, I can't let him have an account here."

"Oh, I think it'll only be me that'll be openin' an account." I clarify quickly. "I just need a way to transfer the money to him, that's all."

"And…you'll need his account to do that, RJ." Yesss shoots back, her eyebrow raised.

"Fine, two accounts then…oh, okay."

Yesss plants her hands on her table. "You seem awfully determined, RJ." She comments "Just like Ralph."

"I know, right? Runs in the family." I giggle back, but then my face hardens "But seriously, I really need to do this. I can't let him steal anymore, and we'll need money to stop all that."

Yesss gives out a heaving sigh, then looks back up at me. "Fine, here's the deal: I'll go and start your account first, RJ. But my decision is final: unless you can give me evidence that your friend isn't like the rest of the clones I've seen in the Crash, I'll deny opening an account for him. You need to make money through another way."

"Yes, ma'am." I say immediately "I'll get him to come to BuzzzTube tomorrow night. I'll show ya that he's not one of them. Definitely not one of them."

"Wait, did you just call me 'ma'am'?" Yesss asked, a playful grin hinting at her lips.

"Maybe." I smile, giggling a bit. Yesss seems nice, and it looks like that she'll be able to keep a secret. But I still have to be careful around her; I cannot let her know more about me.

"Gotcha." Yesss grins as she slips me a small squarish device that fits perfectly in my palm. "So, here you go. You account is activated. I've used your real name for now, but you can change it whenever you like."

"Oh gee…Wow! Thanks!" I say, fingering the device. On the surface is a screen with my name, along with the amount of money that I made with my videos, currently boasting a grand total of zero dollars. I flip the device over, and find that it seems to have a clasp on the side. "It is equipped with _Buzzz Face_ , which you can activate by flipping your device open. Just think of it as like a normal conversation." Yesss explains.

"Got it." I say, putting the device into one of the pockets in my jacket.

"So, you decided on what to do in your videos yet?" She asks.

I freeze. I have been so focused on how to get the money, that I really haven't thought about how I really am gonna do it! Sheepishly, I shake my head: I have absolutely no idea on what to do, nothing! My mind is blank! "Uh…" I trail off, shrugging my shoulders.

"No idea?"

"Yeah…" I admitted, blushing a bit.

"Honestly, I don't blame you." Yesss says in a reassuring tone "I mean, Ralph just went and copied everything trending on the net when he was there."

"Which…was what?" I ask.

"Let me show you." Yesss puts a board in my hands, and gestures me to press play. The first video is of him getting blown in the face while shouting his catchphrase: the exact one that I saw downstairs on one of the large screens. The video then shifts, showing my brother in a kitchen, eating what he introduced as a 'Ghost Pepper', which then sent him flying and running around the room, screaming. Another video then popped up, where Ralph was wearing an Afro wig and painting on the board behind him. The videos keep on coming: Ralph dancing and swinging his arms, Ralph putting on terrible makeup on his face, Ralph's head being Photoshopped onto a bleating goat, Ralph setting his hair on fire as he tried to bake a pie…How many videos are there? How many?

"He made a lot of videos." Yesss pipes up beside me. "He tried everything he could to get the money. I mean, earning twenty-seven-thousand-and-one in like eight hours isn't an easy feat."

"Yeah, but humiliating himself for it?" I ask, cringing as the current video showed Ralph smacking his lips against the camera. "Yikes, that is so terrible!"

"I know. He even made a bee pun, for sweet user's sake." Yesss says, groaning a bit. I can't help groaning as well. If there's one thing I cannot see doing on the Internet, it has to be embarrassing myself.

"Uh, no. No. Nuh-uh. I cannot do that." I put down the board, stopping myself from seeing any more of Ralph's videos "I cannot go and make a fool out of myself. Even if I get a buttload of moolah from 'tis, I can't do 'tis. I can't."

"So, let's think of it from another way. Do you have anything that you really like doing?" Yesss suggested, tapping her chin "We have plenty of gamers who'd made tons of money from video game walkthroughs just because of their hobby."

I start to reply, but a memory stops me from answering. I blink my eyes, and the next moment I'm no longer in Yesss' office, but in the penthouse back in my game. Around me, a party is in full swing, characters from all over the arcade busting off their best moves as the colorful lights shine down all over the place. Yet instead of dancing with the others, I find myself in a loft upstairs, slightly hidden from all the partygoers. I glance once more at the character-filled dance floor, and then fix my headphones tighter over my ears. I take another CD nearby and place it onto the old, worn, public penthouse DJ player, smoothly transiting the current song to another one. Sometimes the music will crackle here and there, but no one can help it as this DJ set has been used many times before, all by different characters; it just happened to be me this time round. As the music thundered above us, I find myself smiling as I look down at the party, happy that I managed to do something to make the guests enjoy their party to the fullest.

Ralph always found me strange when it comes to parties. It all happened years ago; I think it might be one of the very first times I set floor on the penthouse where there was a party. While he danced his night away on the floor with his pals, I found myself recoiling from it all, sneaking up towards the space above the party. There, I saw a character, with headphones over his ears, hunched over a set or something. Curious, I went closer to the guy, and he told me that he was going something called _DJing_. Getting more and more intrigued by the second, I asked the character if he would let me try DJing for a short moment, and while I was certain that he'll say no, the DJ instead smiled and scooted over to make room. There, for the next few minutes, the DJ taught me how to use the player, how to choose your songs, how to make a song jump smoothly from one to the next. I was having a lot of fun, so much fun that I didn't realize the hours have quickly passed before everyone is forced to pack up their stuff for the next working day. When we walked out of the party that day, Ralph looked at me with an apologetic look, saying that he was sorry that he couldn't let me dance in the party. But I shrugged it off, saying that I had a ton of fun anyway, and that he shouldn't worry about me. He gave me a funny look after that, not sure what I meant by that sentence.

You should have seen his face when he saw me helping at the DJ player at the very next penthouse party.

I mean, he never understand what is it that made me so attracted to doing this at the party. He couldn't understand why I would help in the background rather than party off as the main stars. He just couldn't understand. But at the same time, I also can't understand why he liked dancing so much so I think we're even. Two brothers, almost inseparable at times, yet having two completely behaviors at parties. And even though Ralph later accepted the fact that I liked being a DJ more than dancing and partying off like everyone else, he couldn't really grasp the reason of why I did such a thing. He never really understand that why I could like doing this.

He sometimes thought it was a waste of time for me to prepare my DJ music and stuff before every party.

But to me, it didn't matter, because I loved it. To the fact that I loved it even more than what I was supposed to do in my work days.

He can never understand why I can love doing a backstage job so much that I can be willing to ditch my current, stable job for one that doesn't make any sense in the arcade…

"Hey! _BuzzzTube_ to RJ! Are you there?"

I yelp, and suddenly I'm transported back into the present, where Yesss is waiting for me in her office on the Internet. I shake my head, snapping myself firmly back into reality. Yesss is still standing next to me. "You got something you really like doing?"

I breathe deeply in and out. I've never done such a thing before, and I can't believe that I'm about to do it now. But I let it happen away.

"Yes, there is one thing." I bend down to Yesss and whisper something in her ear. When I lean back, she nods in approval. "Yeah, I think I can arrange that. Sit down for a while."

As I land myself in one of the sofas, I see the Head Algorithm turn away from me, muttering into something I can't see. I look out of the large window, at all the countless screens, and am silently grateful at how lucky I am. Only the second day here on the Internet, and I've already found a solution to my problems. Well, sort of a solution: I'm not sure how long this can last. Sure, it might be a trap, but my gut tells me otherwise; and this time, I'm gonna trust it.

"Okay! Come with me, RJ, and put your hood back up." Yesss says, walking out of her office. I pull the hood back over my head and chase after her, down the corridor, up a flight of stairs, and down yet another corridor until we stop at a room in the very end.

Yesss snaps her fingers, and I gasp as my device suddenly flies out my pocket and into her waiting hands. She places her device on the door, and I hear a tiny _Beep!_ As Yesss hands the device back to me, the door silently swings open, and I am ushered into the room.

I am standing in a dimly lit room, so dark that I don't think I can see anything. I hear the light movement of feet across the room, and moments later, the room is bathed in light as the curtains are pulled open.

Squinting my eyes open, I realize that I am indeed in a room, and it is much larger than what I thought. To my left, huge windows are set into the walls, and one can see the screen-filled lobby from there when the curtains are opened. To my right, several huge comfy sofas and a dressing-table, compete with a mirror. And in the middle of it all…

"No…"

I stumble forward into the room, unable to believe what I am seeing.

"No…ya didn't…"

Yesss giggles as she sees me run towards the center of the room, stroking and marveling at the sleek DJ set perched on top of a table. On one side, two digital pads rested while on the other, a towering stack of CDs tilted dangerously on its side. There are no scratches at all on the set and pads, indicating that everything is brand new. One glance at the CDs confirms that I am guaranteed an infinite number of songs for my DJing and remixing.

I gasp deeply, taking everything in one more time. "Wow! Is 'tis…is 'tis…all for me?" I stammer out, fingering the wires and headphones already plugged into the set.

"It's all yours. Everything you see in this room is yours, RJ."

"I…I…" I find myself stammering again, my body flickering in and out quickly, giddy with excitement. "I don't really deserve all of 'tis, Yesss, I don't!"

"Well, is that what you wanted?" She asks back, eyebrow raised.

By now, I have finally managed to peel myself from the DJ set, and look up at Yesss. "Are ya kiddin'? I…I…" I try to speak more, but the words get trapped in my throat, unable to get out. Yesss gives me a knowing grin, and I manage to finish my sentence "'Tis is much more than I bargained for!"

"If you need anything just give me a call. I'm sure you don't need any tutorial videos on how to work on this, right?"

Without looking up at Yesss, I nod my head. The equipment in front of me is so new, so advanced, yet it is all so familiar at the same time. Like, when I put my hands down, I know exactly which buttons to push, which levers to toggle, which set of instructions allows me to transition from one song to the next…

"You said you want to help your friend?" Yesss asks, cocking her head and gesturing to the DJ set "Do what you're here for, then, RJ."

"I…" I'm stammering again. "I…Why are ya doin' 'tis to me?"

"Look, RJ. I just want to let you know that I'm on your side. You're a brother of Ralph, that I'm convinced, but I'm also convinced that you're not the same guy as him. "

And besides." She giggles again. "I also like doing stuff secretly behind Ralph's back."

I give out a hearty laugh. "I'll be fine, Yesss. I'll bring my friend tomorrow here and ya'll see that I'm not lyin'. In fact, I'm a terrible liar, and I really mean it." I laugh again.

Yesss smiles at my response. "Then I'll just leave you here with the DJ set. Have fun, my friend!"

As I wave back, Yesss closes the door to my room, leaving me alone. I choke out a small laugh. I can't imagine what will happen if Ralph saw what I am doing right now, that I am planning to use my DJ skills to earn money on the Internet for 'Ralph'.

He must think that I am crazy.

But then again, I am not Ralph.

I am not my brother.

Not my brother at all.

Slipping the newly-opened headphones over my ears, I place a CD onto my player, and begin remixing the tracks; doing what I really, really love.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Heading into church camp soon, so better get this out of the way! Till then, IceWrecker out! :D**

 **Oh, and finally 'Ralph' has a different name. Hope it wouldn't be too contusing for the coming chapters!**

 **Till then, IceWrecker out! :D**

* * *

Chapter 10

'Ralph'

 _Nope._

 _No, not that one._

 _Nopity nopity nope._

I brush a stray bread crumb off my face and turn back to the heavy book on the ground. For the last couple of minutes, I slowly made my way through _The Book of Names_ , munching on RJ's sandwiches at the same time. I think I had gone through half of the names already, but none of them stood out to me, begging me to use it as my own.

I don't want my name to have a bad meaning, yet I also don't want it to be a grand one, one only used by kings and conquers. With its many, many names, it is a tedious task for me to try and go and find the right one, when it is clear that I am not one suitable for the job. I still don't think I deserve to pick a name for myself, but how can I say no now? There's no one around to finish the job for me.

I reach behind my back for the snack bag, only to find out that I'm down to my last sandwich. _Better not finish this quick, then_. I mentally tell myself as I slowly chewed through the bread and what else the sandwich contained. Maybe I should bring something back to RJ when I have the chance…

RJ…oh God, _RJ_. Just thinking about his name makes me bark out a small laugh. While I'm busy pouring over the various names to find which one is the best for myself, RJ finished the task with two simple letters. I don't think I've gone through every single name in the book yet, but I believe _RJ_ was not one of them. I wonder if he had a reason to name himself that way; maybe the two letters mean something more to him, something that I don't know yet? Maybe he made that name up? I don't know.

So many names, so many decisions. My mind wanders and I recalled all the names that I had seen on the book, and the various reasons of why I made my rejections.

 _Eric: ever or eternal ruler._ I cringed and moved onto the next entry: naming myself after something that means 'ruler'? No way.

 _Connor: hound lover, full of desire._ I had no idea of what a _hound_ is, but the latter meaning only reminded me of my crazed, mindless desire for Vanellope. I shake my head: nope.

 _Darwin: dear friend_. I slammed my book shut in terror: that is exactly the word I wanted to avoid!

 _Arthur: noble, courageous._ I actually liked the meaning of this name, but the fact that it was used by a king causes me to shake my head.

I sigh, mindlessly flipping over another page. Sooner or later, RJ will return from his trip, asking me to return _The Book of Names_ , probably when I still haven't picked out a name for myself. Every time I move to a new entry, I get the constant fear that this is not the right name for me, or maybe I don't deserve to have this name as my own…

Maybe I should grit my teeth and stuck to _Ralph_ instead…

Out of the corner of my eye, I see something fall onto the pages. Frantic, I brush my hands clean and glance at what is it that fell onto the book. This book is borrowed! I cannot damage or ruin or wreck this in any way otherwise RJ might be in trouble! I see that thing, and breathe out a sigh of relief when it turns out to be another stray bread crumb. Quickly, I brush the crumb off, but not before I got a glimpse at the name that it has fallen on.

 _Terrance_.

I look at the entry, wondering what is it that made me mesmerized. Shoving the rest of the sandwich into my mouth, I pick up the heavy book and tuck it closer to my face. There, I get a better glimpse at this particular entry.

 _Terrance: A boy's name; can also be spelt as Terrence, Terence, and Terance. Roman name of an unknown meaning, but it is thought to be linked with_ _terenus_ _(soft, tender). Therefore, the meaning of the name can be seen as tender, gracious, and good._

Words I can never use to describe myself.

I shake my head and prepare to close the book, only to find that I cannot do it. For some reason, I have a strange feeling that this name is calling me, begging me to use it. This feeling is so foreign that I couldn't put my finger on it, but at the same time I feel a sense of belonging coming from it, something that happens to be very hard for me to resist.

It is if I really want to claim this name for myself.

Can I really be called _Terrance_?

Can I?

Can I?

RJ's words run back one more time in my mind: _Yer can be somethin' more…_

Is that what he meant, that I can change myself if I use a new name?

The building crash has already changed me, but maybe I can transform myself further. Maybe a new name is all what it takes…

Guess there's only one way to find out.

Smiling, I put _The Book of Names_ back into its bag. I let out a rather loud yawn, and slide myself back onto my cardboard makeshift bed. I find myself grinning so widely it hurts, and I don't even feel the cold of the data streams piercing through my code. It is if this simple action of changing my name has somehow started to change me, changing me from the character I was a few mere seconds ago. I wonder if I really decide to use this name, it might really change me further, changing me more in ways I cannot expect…

Guess I'll just have to wait and see what will really happen to me.

I close my eyes and tuck myself in with my blankets. Hopefully, by the time I wake up, 'Ralph' will no longer be sleeping in this spot; instead, another character, one with the name of _Terrance_ , will stand up and face the world.

If RJ approves this name, that is.

I don't worry about that for the time being: drowsiness is quickly taking over me. I forget everything for the time being, letting myself tumble into my dreamworld. Worrying will not help me now, nor will it change what will happen next. But maybe, maybe, RJ _does_ approve this name, and I'll be able to be someone other than a clone.

If only this is really true…

If only I can get a confirmation that what I'm doing is the right thing…

If only…

* * *

Yawning, I try to rub my eyes open, waking myself from my sleep. I let out yet another yawn and sit up slowly from my makeshift bed. Looking at the Internet city above gives me no indication of how long my nap was, how long I've been asleep; it always looked the same to me every time I viewed it.

Still, I don't feel like sleeping anymore, so I stretched and got up. Normally rest I would have immediately grabbed my poncho and started another trip towards the Internet for supplies, but somehow, I don't feel like doing that right now. Instead, I turn to the basket that I took from my trip yesterday, and the uneaten rolls still inside it. With my stomach grumbling, it took every fiber in my code to resist touching the rolls,

I'm so hungry, so very hungry; but if this very mistake is what makes me lose my only chance of making a friend, I don't think it is worth it. I can get food and resources anytime, but it is not every day that someone accepts you to be their friend, especially when they know who you really are…

I can't let this chance slide: not now, not ever. I have to grasp onto it, onto my one and only chance of making a true friend.

I hear footsteps behind me, and I turn around. One moment, the Older Net is dark, so dimly lit that I can't see everything clearly. A split second later, a flash of green light explodes into the area, blinding me for a moment. By the time I reopened my eyes, I am no longer alone in the Older Net: a hooded figure with a pack over his shoulder has appeared, a figure that I just happened to know very well…

"Mornin', my friend!" RJ calls as he glitches towards me "Or, _night_ , really. I don't care." He laughs, shoving his hands into his pockets, flickering every now and then.

Somehow, my new friend has the power to brighten up everywhere as he went along, lightening me with a smile. RJ then slides off his pack, rummages through it, and tosses me yet another sandwich-filled bag. Just when I am about to grab it, though, something else lands onto the ground, causing me to quickly withdraw my hand.

I rub my eyes, trying to see that what I just seen was wrong. But no: the basket is still there, filled to the brim with rolls. It looks just like the same ones I stole from the stalls on the Internet yesterday.

"What? I bought them!" RJ says, "With my own cash! They're mine!"

Wait. RJ… _bought_ the rolls? He didn't just take them, but he paid for it as well? My jaw drops open in shock: did RJ really found a way to make some money up here?

Seeing me not taking the rolls, RJ shakes his head and clarifies "Yes, I found a way to make money here on the Internet. 'Tis not much, I gotta admit; still a beginner, but at least I can really buy some decent stuff like 'tis here."

Hearing his explanation, I breathe out a sigh of relief and reach towards the rolls. Just then, RJ points at something behind my back, which I then realize is the basket that I took yesterday, rolls and all.

"Oh, and just before I forget: remember those rolls ya stole yesterday?" He asks. Recalling the memory, I nod sheepishly as RJ continues "I paid them off: they're mine as well. Eat up, they're all yers!"

Wait.

So if RJ paid for the rolls that I stole yesterday, technically they're never stolen, right?

RJ's reassuring look confirms my suspicions, and I grab the basket that I took yesterday, wolfing down every single last one of the rolls. Before I dive into the newly arrived foods, though, I manage to hold myself, long enough to reach back and hand over, along with its bag, _The Book of Names_ to RJ. I can see his grin flattering a bit as he accepts the heavy book, stumbling and crashing onto the ground as he tries to hold onto it properly.

"Already?!" He asks in surprise. RJ glances at me, mouth full of rolls, and then at the book, and then back at me again. When he catches me nodding my head, this only further fuels his disbelief. "Ya got yerself a name already?!"

As RJ's struggling to stand back up, I grab my whiteboard and started to reply. _Yes, I found one_. I write. I then paused, however, before continuing my sentence. _I don't know if it's a good one though_.

"Well, if ya don't tell me, then I would never know!" He replies. By now, RJ has finally managed to plant both feet firmly onto the ground, the book-containing-bag slung over his shoulder.

I look down at the ground, hesitant, before picking my board up and writing the name I had in my mind. I turn my head away from RJ, peeking slightly as I flip the board over to him, letting him which name I picked.

RJ cocks his head as he studies the name. " _Terrance_?" He reads out. _Oh, so that's how you pronounce it_. I think in my mind.

RJ makes a slight face and twitches his nose. I tense up, getting a sinking feeling that RJ is going to say that I've made a poor decision, that this is not the name for me.

 _Is…that a bad name?_ I ask, glancing away.

"Uh…" RJ stammers, and the feeling in me worsens. I am now convinced that I have made a bad decision, that I chose a name I wasn't supposed to choose.

I slowly put down the board and write a new sentence. _That's okay. If that's a bad name, then I should let you choose._ Seriously, I don't think I should do this, I don't think…

"Stop."

I look up from the board, only to find RJ smiling warmly down at me. "Don't think of it like that, my friend. Ya should be happy with yer choices, and 'tis yer name after all; ya should be the only one in charge of findin' a new name for yerself."

 _So…_ I try to look straight at him, but I find my gaze wandering a bit. _You think this is a good name?_

RJ's grin grows wider. "I couldn't ask for a better one, _Terrance_." He punches me lightly on the shoulder and points to the food on the ground. "Eat up: we have a long day ahead of us."

I lean forward and pick up the sandwich bag and the basket, and start tearing into them. Meanwhile, RJ just sat nearby, fingering a small device on his left hand. Occasionally, he glances slightly back at me, but he didn't do anything else. It is only a matter of mere minutes before the sandwiches and rolls were reduced to crumbs, all which I licked off my face. As soon I finished eating, RJ stands up, and gestures me to follow him. "Grab yer poncho, and follow me." He instructs.

 _Where are we going?_ I ask, trying to catch up to RJ.

"To _BuzzzTube_. I found a way to make money there. However, the boss in charge there apparently didn't believe that ya not one of the clones that caused the Crash." RJ replies "She refused to open ya an account, but if ya can convince her, she might just change her mind and make ya an account."

 _BuzzzTube_ …that name sounds kinda familiar, like I heard it before, yet I couldn't remember anything about it…

Oh wait, I remember it now. I think the avatars go into that website to post their videos. I remember running across it one time on my trips, but I never headed inside it. I heard from some netizens that my original made dozens of videos on that very site just to make some money, and although I'm not sure if this is indeed true, there's no reason to risk it, right?

Which…might be the very thing RJ is suggesting right now.

 _Wait, so I have to go there?_ I ask.

"Yup, in person."

I start to stumble backwards. _I can't do it_. I write on the board. _What if he or she doesn't believe me? Would I get caught?_

"I know ya can convince her. I believe in ya. And I get the feelin' that she wouldn't turn ya in. After all, yer tellin' the truth, right?" RJ turns and walks towards one of the ladders. Quickly, I sprint in that direction, as I've been walking the opposite way that RJ is walking in. Which, if I remember correctly, also happens to be the _wrong_ way to the website…

 _Wait RJ!_ I call. _That's not the right way! That doesn't lead to BuzzzTube!_

"I know." RJ shoots back, a twinkle in his eye. "But there's no harm takin' the scenic route, right?"

Terrified, I yank on RJ's jacket, trying to stop him from moving. It works for a moment: RJ is temporary stalled in his steps, but it isn't enough to stop him. "What's wrong?" He asks me "What's wrong with taking the other routes?"

I tap my fingers together, nervous. _No, it's just…_ I stop writing as I try to calm myself down. Every time I make a trip towards the Internet, I get this constant fear that someone will recognize me, and I'll get turned in eventually. Even though the avatars that populate most of the Internet don't realize my appearance, and my hooded poncho successfully hides out most of my obvious features, it still isn't enough to fully convince myself that I am indeed safe. I know when my brothers were defeated at the end of the Crash, they all vanished into the light, every single last one of them. I don't know if this is my fate as well, but I'm terrified of what will happen if my death really is portrayed in this way.

I don't want to admit this to RJ, or to anyone, but I'm scared, scared of what the netizens will do to me as a virus. My first and last undisguised encounter with the netizens nearly cost my life and forced me to hide in the Older Net. The netizens, they're all out to kill me, and I cannot let such a chance happen.

"What's wrong, Terrance?" RJ asks, swinging a hand in front of my face. It is then I remember that my new name is now Terrance, and is might be the only word RJ will be using to call me from now on.

 _I don't want to get caught._ I write. _I don't want any characters to capture me._

"Tsk! Not many characters really take notice of who ya are up there! Just keep yer head down; no one will notice." RJ reassures me, and then he starts to climb up the ladder. I swiftly follow him up, careful not to trip onto my poncho. I know where this ladder leads to; after heading out the alleys _Google_ will be straight ahead. I think it is a search website.

I wonder if that's what RJ meant by 'takin' the scenic route': by searching _BuzzzTube_ up and going from that direction. Sure, it's a much longer way to head to the website, but RJ must have decided this for a reason, right?

My assumption was indeed correct: moments later, RJ and I are standing in line, waiting in front of the search bar of _Google_. As we waited, RJ whistled causally while I kept looking around, tightening my poncho, fearful that someone will recognize me here. But so far, I don't see anyone pointing at me, or yelling in my direction.

 _Maybe I'm just too nervous._ I tell myself as we got the front of the line.

"Hello sirs." The character greets us. "Where are you heading to today?"

"Oh we're both goin' to _BuzzzTube_ , but take him first." I jerk forward as RJ slaps me again on the shoulder, causing me to fall head-first onto the counter. I groan, rubbing my head as I get back up, the character giving me a funny look over the counter.

"You agree with what this man said?" He asks, pointing at RJ over my shoulder.

I know very well that I am allowed to say _no_ , but I agree with RJ anyway. I nod my head.

The character types something behind the counter, and suddenly dozens of search results appear. The topmost one is an icon of the _BuzzzTube_ logo. I carefully put a finger on it, and instantly a pod forms around myself. I turn my head to see RJ waving as I pull away from the website, up into the Internet.

I'm starting to worry that RJ might have set me up for this, but another glance behind my back eases me as I see him directly behind me in another pod. He gives a thumbs-up as we zoom over the shining city.

Another memory surfaces in my mind as I soar across everything. There, I was leaping from a nearby building and onto a pod, exactly the same as the one I am now traveling in. I see myself reached out a hand; smash through the glass walls of the pod, and grabbed a female avatar by the head. She wore a hoodie, the color similar to what Vanellope wore. I asked if she was my friend, but she didn't answer. I tossed her off into the depths of the Internet bellow shortly before I leapt off the broken pod myself, my fists raised as I continued my destruction.

The city has changed greatly after the Crash: websites were up and going, characters walked in and out of the buildings, and avatars were everywhere. I see a pod, with a female avatar sitting inside it, come close to where I'm at, and immediately I tense up, pulling my hood further down. It is then I remember that the avatars cannot see me, and I am not in any danger of being recognized…for now.

Apart from that one time I was in the Crash, I have never travelled in one of these pods to get from one place to the next. It was too risky, and my speechless voice made it impossible to verbally search where I'm going to. But from such a height, it is as the Internet has changed, has become something completely different from what I seen at eye level. Above my head, round globes of every color possible are soaring fast, each containing an avatar. Underneath me, avatars and netizens of all features were busy going to various sites, travelling in pods if necessary. I can see gleaming buildings, each with huge signs proudly displaying what their sites are to everyone passing by. The Internet is alive, teaming with energy and shimmering with power. Everyone is laughing as they went about their ways, not giving the slightest care as they want along…

Too bad I can never really be a part of this world.

My pod swings to the right, and I can see a huge red building looming ahead. I can see loads of avatars heading into this site. Closer inspection of the building confirms that RJ and I have reached our destination.

My pod zooms inside the building, where I can see many large screens displayed, each showing something different. But I have no time to look at them all as at that very moment my pod vanishes, sending me gasping as I crash onto the ground. I start to get up, but I then hear heavy footsteps, coming quickly towards me. I look up and see RJ, but also the three men standing next to him. Two of them wear sunglasses and suits and are huge; the third is much smaller but had a certain sternness to him.

The stern guy points a finger at me. "So, this is the 'friend' you're talking about?"

RJ nods. "Yes, that is indeed him."

"Well, then you know what happens next…Stand back, RJ." He instructs as the other two characters make their way to where I am. "The security guards will take care of everything."

Wait, guards?!

 _Oh no._

The guards reach to where I'm lying and pull me roughly to my feet. As soon I'm standing, one of them runs behind me, grabs both my hands, and yanks them forward. Meanwhile, the other guard is taking something out of his pocket, something that I can see has a metallic shine to it. With one swift _CLICK!_ , the thing is snapped onto both my hands, its weight dragging me onto the ground.

The effect is instantaneous. Immediately, I can feel my code boiling up, my hands shaking violently, sparks shooting out uncontrollably as I scream in pain. My hands have reddened further, and I can see marking starting to sear through them. As I crumble to the ground, I close my eyes, hoping to stop the pain, yet it is no use. I have no idea what the guards have put onto my hands, but I don't like it, I don't like it at all.

 _Make it stop!_ I scream in my mind as the feverish pain continues. _Make it stop!_

After a moment, I manage to squeeze one eye open, only to see RJ standing with the stern guy, saying something I cannot hear. Despite my pain, I grit my teeth in hatred: RJ, the character who accepted to be my friend, to help me whenever he can, is now standing to the side, unwilling to get me out of this. Seeing him that neglectful towards my current state, I wonder if he planned this all along, that all this 'friend thingy' was just a colorful façade to hand me over to the characters who want me dead. And I walked right into his trap.

 _You're such a stupid, stupid clone, willing to give everything just for a friend._ A voice taunts me. _Now, look what you've got yourself into! Enjoy your last few moments on the Internet, you worthless thing!_

I continue to scream as I crumble to the ground, my hands unbearably hot. I keep looking at RJ, glaring at him. _Why did you do this to me?_ I shout in my mind. _Why? Why did you betray me?_

Then I see RJ turn to me, his face absolutely terrified. He starts wringing his hands and make his way to me, but the guards stop him from getting closer. "What are ya doin' to him?" He yells, frantic "What are ya doin'? Ya have never mentioned anythin' like 'tis to me!"

The guy sighs as the guards heave me back up. "I have no choice, RJ. None of us do. This character is a virus, and for the sake of this website we have to make precautions. None of us want a full-on virus outbreak here. These cuffs limit the activity a virus can do on a site: the higher percentage of virus a character contains, the greater their effect. And from what I see here…" The character glances at my pathetic state. "your friend really is a pure virus."

"Well, of course he is, Captain Obvious!" RJ shouts back, his fists raised. "Didn't Yesss tell ya about him? Didn't she?"

"Uh…" The guy glances up at RJ, but quickly glances down again when he sees his thunderous face. "I don't think she told me." I hear a tiny beeping sound, and the guy looks away from RJ to something he's holding in his hand. "Oh, and um…Yesss now requires you to bring your friend up to meet her. Come with me."

"About time." RJ scoffs, rolling his eyes as the guards start pushing me towards the two characters. When my gaze meets RJ's, he gives me an apologetic look. "Look, I'm sorry." He whispers "Yesss only said there will be 'virus precautions' or somethin' like that. I never knew it was like 'tis!"

I simply nod my head. My pain hasn't eased in the least, but at least it is a reassuring fact that RJ is still on my side, that he hasn't been a traitor like I just thought…

 _Well, he could betray you later, right?_ The same voice has now returned to me. _He might want more of your trust, so that he can really hand you over when he has the chance!_

 _SHUT UP!_ I scream back. _You don't know what you're talking about! I'm taking a risk with RJ, and I won't stop until I believe I'm wrong_.

I am led up a flight of steps and into a corridor, walking until I reach a door at the very end. One of the guards knocks his fist on the door. _"Come in!"_ I hear someone call faintly, and the other guard pushes the door open.

The room I am now standing in looks very grand, with a window showing the large screens below. Behind the table, a character is standing, her hands planted on the counter. She was wearing a shiny coat and had glasses. I shake my head as I feel another memory struggles to surface, as if I have seen this character before.

"Is that him, RJ?" The character asks. RJ nods his head and walks to where the character is, putting the bag containing _The Book of Names_ down. "Yup, that's him." He replies, and from my spot I can see his face is still scrunched up in a scowl.

"I apologize that I haven't been able to tell you our methods of a virus precaution, RJ, it is all confidential. I'm so sorry that we treated your friend this way, even if it is for the good of the website." She waves a hand in my direction. Uncuff him." The character instructs.

Slowly, the guards step forward and carefully removed the cuffs from my hands. Once they're gone, my hands are still reddened with code marks plainly visible, not to mention that the pain has not completely faded away. But still, I am relieved that I am no longer wearing the cuffs, and after recovering for a slight moment, I turn to face the boss.

Up closer, the boss of _BuzzzTube_ is much prettier than I thought, but I also know clearly that this isn't my reason for being here. And besides, I don't know what she wants to do with me. The quicker I get out of this site, the better.

"So, what's your name, young man?" She asks me.

Quickly, I take my whiteboard slung at my hip and a marker. Just as I'm about to write, though, I hesitate, not knowing what I should write out. I mean, to RJ, my name is now _Terrance_ , but what about the others? To them, I'm just another Ralph clone, right?

I glance over at RJ, silently begging him to help. He gets my message, and mouths _"New name."_ I give a slight nod, and then write down exactly what he suggested to me. I flip the board over to the female character.

"Terrance…okay, that's unexpected, but I guess that works." The boss finally lets out. I gulp, hoping what I did wasn't the wrong thing.

"What do ya mean by 'unexpected', Yesss?" RJ asks, crossing his arms. Oh, so the boss' name is _Yes_ or something. That's unexpected by my standards.

Oh wait, I think her name is _Yesss_ , with three s-es. Yup! I think I remember that from somewhere, I think I heard it before.

"I mean, when he's obviously a clone, why would he have a name that is different from all the others?" From the way I hear it, I don't think Yesss is insulting me, but rather asking out of curiosity. I can see RJ start to reply, but when he sees me, he lowers his hand and gestured me to answer the question myself instead.

At this moment, I don't really want to stay in this website anymore, given how I've been treated. I don't think there's any use in lying, so I just plainly blurt out the truth.

 _Because I'm not one of them!_

Yesss gasps, and so do the other three characters. Only RJ remains unfazed in seeing my response, his lips slightly plucked up in a small smile. It quickly changes back into an unamused expression when Yesss turns back to him, however.

"You're not…one of them?" Yesss asks, approaching the question cautiously. I might have been too explosive with my abrupt response, so I toned it down a bit. I nod.

"Look, I would need elaboration on that. Hold on a second." Yesss turns and waves at the other three characters "You three, go and wait outside my door. Oh, but leave your detectors behind; I think I might need them. But please leave the room for now."

The guards took something out of their pockets and placed them on the table. When they were finished, all three characters bowed to Yesss and quickly left the room. Yesss went over to her table and fingered the things the guards just dropped off, and then holding them in her hands, went over to me.

"RJ, they're gone now. You can remove your hood." Yesss tells RJ, who starts glitching and waving his hands frantically. It is then I realize that I haven't seen RJ with his hood removed before.

"No! I can't do it, Yesss! It's because…" RJ suddenly stops, leans close to Yesss, and starts whispering something in her ear. I don't know what RJ had said, but I have an idea what he was whispering, for when he pulled away from the boss, his hood is still on, and he has no intentions of taking it off.

Maybe RJ has some secrets of his own, too.

By now, Yesss has stepped forward to me, holding up something in her hand. It looks like a small, round device, attached to a piece of string. She asks me to hold out my hand, and when I do, places the device squarely in the palm, the device looking tiny in my huge hand.

"I know RJ means well, but I'm not totally convinced that I can trust you yet…"

" _Yesss!"_ RJ interrupts across the room, his hands on his hips. "Geez, Louise! Yer such a party pooper! Would ya just get to the point already?"

"Stop it, Glitch!" She fires back. "You're not the one in charge here, you idiot!"

That insult was a little bit too harsh in my opinion, but it worked perfectly as RJ managed to clamp his mouth shut immediately. Yesss breathes in and out deeply, and then taps the device in my hand.

"Okay, as I was saying, you look like a decent guy, Terrance, but I cannot totally trust you yet. You're a virus after all, the cuffs proof that perfectly."

 _I know._ I reply, sighing.

"Therefore, I need to run something I would like to call an 'identity check'. We sometimes use it on some users in order to confirm that they don't have bad intentions in mind. We cannot stop bullies, but we're trying our best to hold them down. With your background, some of us might believe that you're a hacker or something, preparing to cause trouble on _BuzzzTube_. Don't get me wrong: just a few months ago someone hacked into our website and unleashed a virus, trying to harvest our data. Don't worry, we managed to get that under control before it was too late."

Yesss sighs again. "Look. A part of me believes that you're indeed a good character, despite what your code says. However, I cannot rule out the possibility that you're lying to get past me. Therefore, I would now ask you loop this detector over your head. This device will be able to detect if you're speaking truthfully or not. I know, Terrance, this is not something I should really do, but…"

"Ugh, ya said it yerself." RJ interrupts once more, rolling his eyes. Yesss shoots him yet another death glare, and RJ stops talking once again.

After hearing what Yesss has just said, I cannot help feeling a slight anger as well. So, she doesn't believe that I'm innocent all along! She still needs a device to prove that I'm not lying! But guess that what I get for having a dangerous background.

Still, I can't help asking a question. _Will it hurt?_ I write.

Yesss smiles reassuringly at me. "You might feel a slight ticklish feeling, but it won't hurt much. Don't worry, I promise it'll be not like the cuffs the guards put on you earlier."

I think I trust her, and with a nod of my head, I lift the string and slip it over my head, the detection device dangling on my chest. Indeed, I feel a slight tingling running through my code, but it definitely isn't enough to make me scream out in agony.

I look back at Yesss, only to see she now has a board in her hand. I think the board is digital, and it is much bigger than the whiteboard I have. She glances over at RJ, then turns back to me.

"Okay, so the reason I called Maybe and the guards out is because of something I don't want them to hear. You see, during the Crash, while everyone else was running for their lives, I grabbed my car and took Ralph and Vanellope for the ride. I tried to lead all the clones to the Anti-Virus district, there they'll be all destroyed…or so we thought."

 _So that was you!_ I exclaim through my board.

"'Course that was me, but how can I tell anyone?" She giggles "If Maybe or any of my guards found out, then…I don't even want to know what they're going to do to me." The giggles have graduated into a full-blown laughter, and I can't help smiling as well. I wouldn't have told anyone either if I did such a thing.

"However, because of this very reason, I realized just how destructive the Ralph clones were. I mean, before I picked the two up, some of the clones invaded our website, and while they just tore up everything to look for Vanellope, we managed to beat them up fairly quickly and shoo them out of our site. But…when they came together as a team to catch Vanellope…we were all overwhelmed by them. They were so powerful, so fast, so full of desire to capture Vanellope that we were greatly outnumbered. It didn't help they came together to form a huge version of Ralph and took Vanellope by force, and Ralph and I can only stare hopelessly as she was taken."

 _I know. I heard that._

"I don't know if you're one of them, so I need you to tell everything that happened to you in the Crash. Everything, and please don't lie to me; I can detect when you're not telling the truth with this device."

 _I won't lie. I won't._ I promise Yesss and pick up my board.

It turns out Yesss isn't better at understanding ASL than RJ is, and therefore I have to resort to my whiteboard and my markers once more. Slowly, I tell my story from the beginning, trying to recall every single memory that happened to me. Turns out the marker in my hand happened to be one that is not completely new, for when I get to the point where I wrote the building fell onto me, the ink ran out and I dug through my pockets. To my dismay, I find I only have two more markers left, and I have no idea how long they will last.

I should have bought more markers if I saw this coming.

Still, I take them out and continue telling my story. I write one word after the next, flip the board after finishing my current sentence, then flip it back over and scrub it clean before starting a new one. It is the only thing I did in the next couple of minutes: write, flip, show, flip again, scrub, and repeat. All the way, I can see RJ nodding his head in approval while Yesss 'listens' to my story, glancing down at her board at the same time. I can see her frowning slightly as she peers down at it. Uh-oh. Is that a good thing?

I brush that thought aside as I continue writing. I wrote down everything I told RJ before back in the Older Net, yet when I got to that point, I didn't stop. I continue writing about how I met RJ, how I desired for a friend, how I believed that I don't deserve a pal on the Internet. I continue writing, and as I did, I'm surprised to taste salt on my lips. I hold one finger up to my face, and find tears rolling down my checks. I admit I can be a bit emotional at times, but now it's not the time to do so. I desperately try to stop myself, but I can't do it. Capping my marker, I stop writing and lift my sleeve to my face, brushing away any tears before continuing.

 _I just want a-_

Huh?

What's happening?

Why won't anything come out?

Why can't I write the last few words?

I shake the marker and place the tip onto the board once more, but nothing comes out. I shake it again, but again I can't write any words.

 _Darn it, darn it, darn it!_

Annoyed, I growl and clutch the marker tightly, so tight that the next moment I find my hand faintly splattered with ink and the marker split in two. I glance up, embarrassed, only to see both RJ and Yesss looking straight at me.

 _Sorry._ I mouth, rubbing my hand on my poncho to get rid of the ink, but I don't think it is much help at all. I'll probably need some water to get me out of this mess.

"Don't you have another marker?" Yesss asks. Her voice sounds concerned, not threatening at all. Maybe she's starting to stand on my side as well, but I cannot confirm since I haven't finished my story yet.

I shake my head. This just happened to be the last marker that I bought along with me. I look around the room, but I don't see any signs of an object that can pass as a marker. If only Yesss knew ASL, then I can tell her immediately what happened next. But all because of my stupid marker, I am forced to stop.

I feel something tapping against my arm, and I look to see the boss holding out a board to me. It is blank at the top, but at the bottom, there is a whole bunch of letters and numbers, all arranged randomly. I've never seen anything like it.

"Here's a keyboard, type what you were writing and finish what you're saying." She instructs.

I glance at the board again. I'm guessing that the bottom part of the board, the one with the letters and numbers, is what the characters call a _keyboard_. I carefully place one finger on a letter, and instantly the same letter appears on the space above. I click on another one, and that letter appears too. I wonder if this is the same for the numbers as well, so I do the same thing, and indeed it also works. Soon, the space above is filled with a random jumble of letters, numbers, and nonsensical words. Nothing makes any sense, but at least I know how to use the keyboard now.

No wait, I don't; how do I _erase_ what I just wrote?

I take one corner of my poncho, and start rubbing on the jumble of words formed in the space, but so far I couldn't make them disappear. I tried rubbing harder, but the words still remain. I was about to rub the board again when I heard Yesss call my name, my new name.

"You don't clear words by doing that!" She says, pointing at my board "There's a 'backspace' button on the keyboard. Hit it, and you'll be able to delete everything you just wrote."

Really? That sounds like magic! I locate the button on the keyboard and gingerly press it. Indeed, the last letter on the space vanishes. I press it again, and another letter disappears. I press the button a couple of times more, and I wonder what will happen if I hold it down for long enough. I place my finger down on the 'backspace' button and didn't lift it up, and I see everything I typed start to vanish into nothing. I gasp, as this is something I've never seen before. As the space becomes blank once more, I can't help staring at it for a while, mesmerized at how this 'magic' worked.

I hear someone clear his throat, and I see RJ looking at me. "Finish yer tale." He instructs.

Oh, right.

Now that I know how to use the keyboard, I quickly finish the rest of my sentence. I let my fingers fly over the keyboard, hitting the 'backspace' button if necessary. After I finished the current sentence, though, I didn't flip the board over immediately. Instead, I continue typing, typing until I think that I have typed down everything.

I hit the 'period' key on the keyboard and let out a loud sigh. _This is it._ I think to myself. _If Yesss thinks that I'm lying, so let it be it. I have told her everything that I know. It's not my fault that she doesn't believe me._ Sighing again, I flip the board over.

 _I just want a companion on the Internet. When I see characters chatting or laughing with each other, I feel really jealous. But I know that it's not something I can control since I'm not a normal character to start with. By now, RJ is the only character that has accepted me, that believes in me. But I don't know how long this will last. I know very well that our friendship might not last long, but I really hope that I can hold onto this as long as I can. I want my friendship to be built on trust, not by force. I won't force one to become my friend, even if this means I'll probably never have any new friends since no one is willing to trust a viral clone._

"Oh Terrance…" RJ sighs, cocking his head. "Don't say to yerself like that."

 _You know very well this is true, RJ!_ I type back.

"That's enough." Yesss jumps in and turns to me. "So you're saying…that you don't have any desire towards Vanellope anymore?"

I nod my head. _If she wants to be my friend, then I'll gladly let it happen. I can't force her to be my friend or not. It's her choice, and not the other way round. But I don't think she'll accept me after what my brothers and I did to her_.

"So do you know where she is now?" Yesss asks me.

I pull up a memory, and then I put in my answer. _Slaughter Race, I believe? I've only passed by that game once, and I saw her in the entrance with her friends._

"You didn't talk to her?"

I shake my head. _What's the point? She doesn't want me to be my friend!_

"So you really don't have an urge to grab her and get her to be your friend when you have the chance?"

I start fuming. If my words have the ability to kill, I would have gladly used that power. _I told you, Yesss, I don't have a desire for her to be my friend anymore! Why do you keep asking that? Is this a joke? Do you think I'm lying? If you don't believe me, fine! I'll just leave! I know what you're thinking: oh, look at this virus dude, so pathetic, trying to gain some sympathy! Let me just drive him nuts by asking the same question over and over again! Ugh! You know what, I'm done, I'm done with this! I'm done!_

My finger leaves the keyboard, and I raise the board and hurl it to the ground. I then rip the device off my neck, crush it in my fist, and fling it to the ground as well. Pulling up my hood, I turn to the door, my code boiling with anger.

 _I knew it, I totally knew it._ I mutter in my mind. _Yesss is indeed up to no good. Now she knows where I am, I better leave before all the other netizens arrive. Sorry you tried to help, RJ, but guess I'm on my own now._

I place a hand on the handle and start to turn it.

" _Terrance."_

I turn around, only to see RJ and Yesss bending down to pick up the broken board and device, the very ones that I just wrecked seconds earlier. I suddenly start to get afraid: would this very action ruined my impression forwards Yesss? Maybe she wasn't firing at me in the way I was assuming, but my hidden temper took over and I exploded. I had a chance and I just blew it! I blew it! It's all over, and it's my entire fault. Me and my stupid temper ruined everything!

Still I remove my hand from the handle and turn back to the two. I breathe in and out, preparing myself for the moment Yesss throws me out.

"Listen Terrance. I didn't know what I just said hurt you so much. I didn't know what you were going through, and I shouldn't have asked you further when I saw you were getting uncomfortable with the questions."

 _Too bad the damage's already done._ I scoff in my mind.

"Look, the reason I have to ask you this much is that I didn't believe what the device was telling me. That's right: it said you were telling the truth the whole time. I had to ask a few more questions to see if you were indeed being honest, and you really were, temper and all."

RJ nods in approval as she continues. "I'm really sorry that the building fell upon you during the Crash, and that your brothers are no longer alive. You're indeed a Ralph clone, but at the same time, you're definitely not one of them."

Wait, what? Did I just hear that correctly? I look up at the two characters.

"You're not one of them at all…"

RJ is grinning, so is Yesss. I don't know if that's a good thing, but I don't have time to think for at this moment the boss of _BuzzzTube_ tosses something towards me. I catch it, revealing it to be a squarish device with a clasp on its side, looking tiny in my huge hand.

Yesss clears her throat. "I trust you Terrance. Welcome to _BuzzzTube._ "

WAIT, WHAT?!

I…I passed?

I really managed to prove myself out?

My jaw drops to the ground while I look at the device in my hand. My name, my new name, is written on it, along with the amount of money my account contains, which is currently at zero. Yesss steps forward and stretches out her hand. Not knowing what to do, I hold out a hand and shook it. I am giddy with excitement, not believing what has just happened, what I have just done to gain the boss' trust.

Just then, my device buzzes violently, and I gasp. Quickly, I grab it and take a look, only to see the zero on the screen has changed to another number: 34. But I haven't done anything to my account yet! I point at the screen frantically, and Yesss calmly answers my question. "Looks like a certain someone has just transferred some caseh over to your account!"

Wait, a certain someone. Who could it be?

Oh.

Oh, right.

I run over to RJ, who is holding an identical device in his hands. The screen currently has the words _'Transfer Complete'_ flashing on it, then the words vanish, displaying RJ's current amount of cash in his account with a big fat zero.

I gasp.

Quickly, I grab the board I just smashed onto the ground. I start tapping on it. Good! Amid the cracks, it's still usable. Quickly deleting everything I typed, I start typing a new sentence. _Did you just transfer all your money to me?!_

"Yes…is there a problem?"

I pause. I really want to answer, but his smile stops me from answering. "Ya need the money, Terry. I got food from home, but it's not the same for ya here. I don't need the money, but ya do. I'll keep transferring the cash I make in my videos to yer account. What I want ya to do is to stop stealin'. Ya got that?"

I start crying, but I am smiling at the same time. Still in disbelief, I type out: _Why are you doing this to me, RJ, why?_

"I don't need a reason to help a friend, right?" He smirks, and shakes his head.

"He's right, Terrance." Yesss pipes up. "If he really thinks you're his friend, then there's really no reason for him not to help you, right?" She steps closer to me. "You have proved yourself that you're not one of the clones from the Crash, that tried to harm Vanellope. I've got you an account, but I want to do something further…"

Yesss now turns to face me. "I think I can be your friend, if you don't mind."

WHAT?!

My jaw drops again as the boss continues. "I don't see any harm in being a friend with someone I don't think is dangerous. You certainly proved that you're not one of them. And besides…" Yesss leans closer and whispers in my ear. "You look cute when you lose your temper."

I feel my lips curl up in a smile. _Really?_ I type.

"Really. Just don't tell Ralph I said this, alright? Though I have a feeling that you'll never do that." She gives my shoulder a friendly slap, then walks back to her desk.

RJ then comes to me "Gotta make some more videos. Get yerself some food; I think ya can buy a pie with that price."

 _Wait, you're not coming?_ I ask, surprised. _And what do you mean by a 'pie'?_

"'Tis somethin' real delicious. Go and search it up, ya'll thank me for it. Don't worry; I think we'll see each other soon. Oh, and remember," RJ turns to me with a cheeky grin. "Ya promised to teach me sign language."

Oh yeah. I almost forget about that. _It's that the reason that you asked me to leave right now, so that I can prepare?_ I ask back, smiling myself.

"Maybe." RJ laughs, then waves at me. Clutching the device like it is a treasure, I turn to the door. Before I open it, however, I turn around and see my RJ and Yesss, someone who has just became my new friend.

Maybe I did change more when I changed my name to Terrance.

Maybe this is just the beginning…

I turn the handle and left the room, grinning like an idiot and my code buzzing like the happiest character alive.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Hey guys! A slightly boring chapter here, but better to lay down some of the basics before moving on with my story.**

 **Oh, and all information regarding ASL is found through online resources. If I happened to get any of it wrong, just tell me!**

 **Till then, IceWrecker out!**

* * *

Chapter 11

'Ralph' / Terrance

Running my finger across the bottom of the pie tin, I scrape the last flaky bit of the pastry off and proceed to lick it clean. About a week ago, when RJ transferred his cash for the first time to me, he introduced something called a 'pie'. He didn't tell me anything else about this 'pie' thing, though, so it was up to myself to discover what in the Internet did he mean by that.

Luckily, some of the netizens (they didn't recognize me, if you're wondering) knew what a 'pie' was, and quickly directed me to a website that sold this stuff. It was a weird feeling, waiting in line and placing my _BuzzzyBuxxx_ card on the counter when it is my turn, paying for the stuff I wanted. It was such a stark contrast to the action of stealing just a few days ago that I can't help but laugh out loud at the memory.

But once the transaction was complete and the character in-charge handed me the pie over, all my current thoughts drained from my head. The object on the counter in front of me was definitely unfamiliar, yet I got the nagging feeling I had seen it before. Still, I couldn't tear my gaze away from the pie on the counter, hot and steaming, with a scent unlike anything I'd experienced before. I'm not sure what was in the pie, but I had a feeling that it would taste amazing. Without thinking, I reached over a hand and touched it, only to reel it back almost immediately.

"Careful! It's hot, sir! Here, let me wrap it up for you."

Sucking my finger, I watched as the character took out a small piece of cardboard from under the counter and folded it into a box, sliding the pie inside. As if afraid that the box wasn't enough, he then took out a piece of string of suitable length and wrapped it around the box, tying a delicate knot at the very top. Judging by the calmness of his actions, it was if he didn't know the very character he was serving to was a virus. Still, I didn't do anything else, just in case.

With the box completely wrapped up, the character pushed it towards me on the counter. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice I was holding up the line until the character cleared his throat, pointed the box, and told me to move aside. Blushing slightly, I took the box and tucked it under my poncho, its heat warming me as I left the website and returned to my home.

When I got back to the Older Net, the box was still warm, but not hot enough to burn my fingers. Brushing my hands onto my poncho, I carefully pull the box out and set the pie down on the ground. Even as it had cooled down, the pie still looked as delicious as ever when I first bought it.

It took all my might to hold myself not to stuff headfirst into the pie, yet instead tear off a small portion of it before eating. It was strange, but not as strange as the action of actually buying this pie from earlier. In fact, as I ate, a part of me was still denying everything that just happened. That I just managed to buy stuff legally from a vendor without anyone noticing. But it was so worth it, all so worth it. The pie was just as wonderful as I thought in my mind, flaky and full of flavor. The fact that I did not get this pie from stealing just makes it taste even more delicious.

As soon I finished my current piece of pie, I quickly tear off another slide for myself. Once I went through the entire thing, I sat back and found myself craving for more, but at the same time I don't think I should use all my money this way. I know RJ gave them all to me, but he definitely wouldn't want me to cash it all on pies, right?

The very next day, I woke up to find another sum of money stored into my account; from my friend, of course. Despite what I decided the day before, I then went back to the same website, went back in line, and bought myself two pies of different flavors. The character raised his eyebrows when he saw me, and I was afraid that this time he knew who I was. It turned out he indeed recognized me…as the customer that came the day before. He was so thrilled to see one of his customers again that he didn't hesitate to serve me more of his pies. The day after that, though, I didn't return to the website; instead I wandered to another part of the Internet, trying to buy myself something else to eat. Soon, I began to discover more parts of the Internet with my journeys, going into more websites than I expected, even starting a conversation or two with some of the characters that happened to be in my way. Sometimes the characters would stop to help me on my journeys, pointing in the direction I wanted to go, all without the thought of turning me over in their words. I was still very confused by it all, confused that the netizens were not as bad as what I had in mind all along…

It seems like ironically, under my poncho, I am able to bring more of myself out, show a version of myself that I don't think the Internet has ever seen before. I don't know if this is a sign of me changing further, nor is this a good thing, but I don't resist it. I'll probably ask RJ if I can if this is something I should let it continue, but don't think it matters if I don't stop it now.

I lick the pie tin once more. Apart from the website that I discovered at the start of the week, I found several more pie-selling websites in another section of the Internet. To be frank, they were located on the other side of the Internet, and it took me quite a while to head there and back. But that didn't stop me from going there to get myself some pie; and also for another reason…

On the ground next to me, several cards and pieces of paper are lying in stacks. Right next to the website that I just mentioned, a website that provided printing services was located. There, I used some more of my cash to print out some teaching notes and guidelines on ASL. The last time I've seen my friend is about a week ago; enough time for me to go and prepare materials to teach him sign language. Not that I want to say bad things behind my friend's back, but RJ is absolutely terrible at this. So terrible, that I decided to teach him right from the basics. And even then I might have to take quite a while before we move on to the intermediate stuff.

To be honest, RJ doesn't even need to know how to sign the words; he just needs to understand what I trying to express when I'm signing. But he insisted that he wants to learn how to sign it himself, just in case…

I toss the tin aside. RJ will be arriving any minute, eager to learn my language. And I have to be ready for him. He might have some sandwiches with him, as per the tradition, but that is not my focus right now. My mission today is that by the end of my lesson, RJ would have known how to interpret the alphabet in ASL and learn how to fingerspell, or even understand a few basic words and phrases.

At least, that's what I'm hoping will happen. RJ has faith in me; I can't let him down, right?

I hear someone descending from one of the ladders nearby and I smile. _Right on time_. I think, restacking some of the fallen papers and standing up. Sure enough, my friend had arrived in the Older Net, ready for his first lesson in sign language.

"Hey, Terry!" RJ calls cheerily "Ya got the…"

Suddenly, his face falls, and he starts tugging on the metallic device on his chest in frenzy. I can see fear in his eyes, something I don't think I've seen in RJ before. This must be something important that he's doing, given how serious he looks.

RJ grunts and twists on his device, and at the same time I can see his figure starting to flicker. I start to get confused: RJ is a Glitch, so flickering is something common to him. I've seen him glitching and flickering almost every time I saw him, and he seemed to be okay with it. So why the frenzy? Why the sudden seriousness?

I get my answer almost immediately.

With a yell, RJ wrestles the device off his chest and tosses it to the side, ignoring the smashing sound it made upon contact with the ground. It is then his figure explodes in a flurry of green sparks, glowing and continuous, like a blaze of fire rising out of the ground. Within the flames, I can hear RJ screaming, clearly in pain as he glitches again and again and again, his flickers bringing him to the ground. His glitches are so powerful, I can barely make out his silhouette underneath it all; from where I'm standing, RJ is just a bundle of blinding green light, lighting up the darkness.

RJ screams again, his cries piercing through the Older Net with agony. Instantly, I am reminded of my treatment in _BuzzzTube_ , the virus-precaution cuffs snapped onto my wrists and burning my code alive. The only thing different is that at least my pain is stopped when the cuffs were removed; with RJ, though…I don't even know what is causing the pain!

But I just can't stand here and do nothing! I can't! Shielding my eyes from the brightness, I run to where RJ is still twitching in pain. I reach out a hand, trying to do something to help my friend ease his pain, but a voice cuts through the blinding light, stopping me. I gasp, realizing the voice belongs to RJ.

"Don't…" He manages to mutter, his eyes teary with pain "Don't come near me…don't touch me!" RJ squeezes his eyes shut again, and continues screaming.

I withdraw my hand, confused.

He clearly needs help, why would he telling me not to do this? It's so unexpected, but I keep my distance from RJ anyway, just in case.

My friend continues twisting and turning and yelp and screaming, and I'm just standing there to the side, confused why I am not allowed to help. The screams continue, along with the bright flashes of light, for maybe a minute more; before all of a sudden, the Older Net is plunged back into darkness and silence.

For a while, I am just stunned by what just happened, so stunned that I didn't start going to where RJ was to see if he needed help. Very carefully, I inch to where my friend was. There on the ground, RJ just lies there, unmoving. His hair is messy on one side, his posture is twisted awkwardly, and his clothes seemed like they were burnt slightly. Seeing RJ like this, I'm really worried for him, yet at the same time I know there must be a reason that he told me not to touch him. Looking around me, I see a stick; I think it's made of wood, propped on the wall nearby. So I go over, grab it, and start to lightly poke RJ's side.

 _Come on…_ I think as I continue poking. _Come on! Wake up! Wake up, RJ!_

My friend doesn't move, not even in the slightest. I feel my code racing as I poke him harder, praying for him to wake up. _WAKE UP! WAKE UP!_

"Ugggggh…" I hear moaning from below, and the stick drops from my hand as I see RJ open his eyes. Almost immediately he shuts them again, but I can see his head slightly shaking as he gains more conscious by the second, slowly getting stronger

 _RJ! Are you alright?_ I ask.

RJ groans again. He's still lying face down, but at least he can now open his eyes and look at me. "I am now, I guess…Yeah; guess I'm fine…for now."

 _You should have let me help!_ I tell him. _You look terrible, and I don't know if you're going to get a game-over!_

"Yeah, I know. Wonderin'…wonderin' the same thing as well. Guess I got lucky." RJ says, panting. "But…no matter what happened…back there…Ya can't…ya can't touch me. If ya touched me…ya'd be already dead by now."

Wait what?

 _What do you mean?_ I ask through my board.

With a few more seconds of panting, RJ manages to sit up. "My Glitch, 'tis too strong for me to handle. At most times, I am able to control it, and use it like a normal power. But sometimes…sometimes it gets out of control and it explodes within me, in the form of a Glitch Attack. At that moment…" RJ glances to the side, grimacing "my Glitch is at 'tis most dangerous. 'Tis full energy is surgin' through me and ya don't even _want_ to know what happens if ya touched me! Believe me, Terrance; I've nearly killed characters with my Glitch Attack before and I don't want ya to suffer the same."

With that, RJ starts to stand up, but his prosthetic gives away and he crumbles to the ground before stumbling forwards again. Seeing him struggling, I would have helped RJ by now, if not for the words he just said.

 _RJ's Glitch can_ _ **kill**_ _?!_

 _His Glitch is_ _ **that**_ _dangerous?!_

I don't think RJ had told me anything about his Glitch before. Sure, I've seen him use his Glitch to get from place to place with complete ease, but I just thought of it as a random power. What just happened was nothing like I've seen RJ's Glitch behave before, and I can't help but wonder if there's anything RJ is hiding from me about his Glitch. With what he just said, though, it turned out RJ's Glitch was something more powerful than I imagined. RJ had a prosthetic leg instead of a real one: did his Glitch cause that to happen?

I suck in my breath, finally understanding everything. No wonder RJ didn't want me to touch him while he glitched; he knew exactly what would happen to me, and it was not good, not good at all.

 _So are you okay now?_

RJ stands up from where he'd just fallen and stretches himself. He shakes his arms about, readjusts his prosthetic, and lets out a couple of glitches. At this moment I tense up, afraid that he'll suffer another attack with his glitches, but this time it is if RJ knew what he was doing.

After shaking and glitching for a while, RJ goes over to his pack and digs out a device, the same metallic device that he tossed aside just before the Glitch Attack hit. He screws it open, twisting until the center glowed a brilliant green. RJ glitches one more time, and then he turns to face me.

"Yeah, I'm okay." He says. "Shall we begin?"

* * *

 _Okay, so the first thing you need to learn about ASL is how the alphabet looks like._ I write on the board.

"Uh, well, but I think we both already do!" RJ says with a look of skepticism.

 _Yes, but there's a different symbol for each letter and I'm gonna tell you which is which._ I place my board down, turn around, and grab one of the papers resting on the top deck. The 26 letters, along with their respective signs, are printed on it. I pass the paper to RJ.

RJ holds the paper close to his face and studies it, his eyes narrowing in concentration as he tries to figure out what it means. For the past few encounters, RJ was the one in charge, and I was the one tagging along for the trip. But today, it is a nice surprise to see our roles have been reversed, that I'm now the teacher and RJ's the pupil, eager to learn what I'm about to tell him.

"Oh, so that's what ya mean…" RJ says, looking up from the paper. "But I see some arrows here and there. What do they mean, Terrance?"

 _Oh, those are action signs. You need to follow them to sign the letter._ I erase my board and start again. _For example, with 'J'…_ I hold up my hand, clutched in a fist apart from my pinky, and twirl it towards me, like I'm writing the letter in mid-air. _And with 'Z'…_ I point towards RJ and make a zigzag; again, like I'm writing the letter.

"Oh, I see…But why the trouble?" RJ asks, "Couldn't they just invent new signs for these two letters instead?"

 _Who knows?_ I shrug. _I'm just a user._

"So if I want to sign my name, then I just…" He holds up his left hand, holds up his index and middle fingers and crosses them; then he curls it in a fist, minus pinky, and twirls it towards himself. He then looks up at me, his head cocked, awaiting my response.

 _Yes!_ I mouth, making a thumbs-up on both hands. _Though we usually sign it with our right hand_. I add with my board.

"Sorry, I'm left-handed." RJ replies, shrugging himself.

 _Well, I guess that works too._ I write, giggling a bit.

"I wonder if anyone would sign with both hands at the same time, one letter on each." RJ thinks aloud, picking up the paper again.

 _I wouldn't advice that._ I reply, giggling again. _I mean, it_ _ **is**_ _possible, but that's not for a beginner. Besides, I use one hand for most of the time._

"Okey-dokey. So what's the next step?" RJ asks, tapping his chin.

I pick up my board again. _I'm going to teach you to fingerspell. It's a bit confusing at the start, but pretty easy once you know it._

With that, I 'tell' RJ to look at the paper, then I start signing, moving my fingers one sign after the next. _Second and third fingers pointing to my left, hand closed in fist with the thumb clearly visible, pointing a finger gun upwards, repeat, hand not completely closed in fist._ I let my hand drop limply to my side, my signing complete.

There is a moment of silence. RJ scratches his head, trying to understand what I had done. Slowly, I sign the above pattern again, and look at RJ.

"Uh…what are ya signin'?" RJ asks, cocking his head in confusion.

 _Just the alphabet._ I explain. _I'm signing the letters one by one. Find out which one I'm doing, and spell out the word from them._

"So that's why ya called it 'fingerspellin'!" RJ realizes. "Ya find the word from the signs!"

 _Bingo!_ I applaud, and then sign the letters once more. RJ looks from the paper to my hands and reads aloud the letters that he thinks I am signing. "Okay, so…that's an 'H'…then an 'E'…and then I think…uh…that's an 'L'…did ya just sign that again, Terry?...and then an…uh…this is an 'O'? Oh!"

RJ reels back from the paper and beams. "'Hello!' Ya were signin' 'hello' to me, is that right?"

I nod my head, grinning. _You got it!_ Immediately, I start signing once more. For the next couple of minutes, I signed one word after the next, and RJ would try to understand what I am saying. Sometimes, however, he would interrupt me in the middle of a signing to try and sign the word himself, but it is not as easy as he thought it would be. He keeps messing up some of the letters, like the _E_ s and the _M_ s and the _N_ s and the _O_ s and the _S_ s and the _T_ s, yet I can see he's trying very hard to understand my language. But soon it became easier for RJ, and he was able to sign a few words with the letter signs I taught him that I am able to understand.

"'Tis is fun." RJ says, twirling his fingers. "Though 'tis a bit of a hassle to sign everythin' with these letter signs; that's gonna take a while."

 _You have a lot to learn, my friend._ I smile. _We've got signs for almost every single word available. Fingerspell is just the beginning._

RJ's grin immediately flatters. "But…oh God, I'm _so_ takin' that compliment back. I didn't know there's more to 'tis! I thought that after ya've learnt the alphabet, then that's it! I've learnt everythin'!"

I laugh. _Yeah, there's a lot going on. But I have some cards that show some basic words and phrases. In fact, let me teach you some right now!_

I put my board down, and start giving a bunch of basic ASL phrases to RJ. I sign quickly, but also enough for RJ to memorize each one before moving to the next.

 _Hello: I put my right hand near my head and do a sorta-salute._

 _Goodbye: I hold up my hand and bend down my fingers to touch my palm quickly._

 _I am: I point a finger at myself._ There's several more versions to signing this, but I use this the most.

 _Yes: My hand in a fist, I jerk the hand up and down, as if I am knocking._

 _No: Holding up my first three fingers, I squeeze the fingers together, shaking my head for emphasis._

 _Please: I place my right hand flatly on my chest and move it clockwise._

 _Thank you: I place my hand near my mouth and move it forwards, towards RJ._

 _And there you have it! These are some common ones I use, but there are more words on the cards I've prepared._ With that, I take the stack of cards that I've prepared and side them over to RJ. At least, I _tried_ to slide them over: some of the cards toppled from the pile as I passed them over. Almost immediately, RJ scoops them up and quickly replaces them onto the original stack. He glances at the cards, then at his pack, and then at the cards again. I'm guessing that he's trying to see if he can somehow stuff them all into there.

 _You can take some of it now, I'll keep the rest when you return._ I offer. I can see his face light up when I wrote this, and smiling, RJ takes some of the cards and pushes the rest back to me. I have no idea which cards RJ now had in his hands, and whether or not the words on them are really useful to us both. I make a mental note to sort the cards by category and pass the ones I think are the most useful to RJ the next time we have our lesson.

As RJ studies the cards in his hands, I begin signing mindlessly on my own. Without thinking much, I hold out both hands, both index fingers hooked up. With my right hand flipped towards my face, I hook my finger from the other hand onto the first. Quickly, I then reverse the position for my hands, this time with the left hand flipped when the fingers are hooked.

I know I shouldn't have signed this word out, yet I don't think I can undo it as I look up to see RJ glancing intensely at my hands. It is clear that he'd just seen me sign, and is now awaiting my explanation.

And sure enough…

"What does that mean?" RJ asks.

" _Friend."_

RJ looks up at me with surprise, and that is when I realized that I just spoken aloud. I use my board or ASL for most of the time that I forget I am able to speak that particular word, not that there's any reason for me to say that out loud, though. Almost by instinct, I look away, but then I remember that RJ is not one of the characters that is out to get me, that he isn't bothered by this. With that in mind, I turn my head back to where RJ is sitting.

Slowly and carefully, RJ holds up his hands and hooks the index fingers. He sticks his tongue out as he tries to mimic my actions, having some difficulty as he tries to place his fingers in the right places. I laugh, and without second thought, reach out and grab both his hands, helping him hook the fingers together.

"I must be terrible at 'tis, right Terrance?"

I look at RJ, and he returns my gaze sheepishly. He jerks his wrists and I release my grip on them. I then take my board and write my response on it. _You're just a beginner, RJ._ I write. _Everyone has their first try at everything._

"Yeah, but…there's just so much to learn! How can I understand everythin'?!"

 _You don't need to remember everything._ I reassure RJ. _You just need to remember the common words that I use. And besides, you don't need to sign yourself, you just need to know what I'm saying._

"Yeah, but I want to learn how to sign too! I mean," RJ argues back "I wanna learn how ya do yer language too!"

 _Don't be impatient._ I remind my friend. _You'll get it in time._

RJ looks straight at me. Then he breathes in deeply, and starts to slowly move his hands. His movements are much more cumbersome than mine, but at the same time his signs are unique in a way that I cannot explain.

"Okay, so…get it together RJ." He mutters as he puts down the cards and starts signing for real.

He puts his left hand up and waves at me. "Hello…I am…RJ." He speaks aloud while saying the words. He points at me, and then back at himself. "You…me…" He flips one hand and hooks the fingers together, before doing the same with the other hand. "Friend."

He lets his hands fall, and none of us do anything. Then gingerly, RJ breaks the silence.

"How did I do, Terrance?"

Instead of answering, I simply smile, giving my answer. RJ immediately gets it, and his face breaks into a smile as well. "Ya know, I knew it all along that ya were someone more than just a clone." He says, and then returns to his cards.

Suddenly, I feel myself jerk back unnaturally, as if RJ's words have affected in some way or another. The entire time when I was signing, I was having so much fun that I kinda forgotten who I really was. I mean, when I spoke the word _"friend."_ aloud, I kinda remembered that I'm really just a clone; but what RJ said just now really hit it hard. That I wasn't really a real character, just merely a shadow of one.

Or _am_ I?

My mind recalls my recent journeys on the Internet, the moments that I talked and interacted with the other netizens like I'm just another normal character. I remember that they were patient with me when they realized I can't speak, and were willing to exchange a conversation or two.

They never realized that I was not a character like them.

Or even if they did, they did not show it immediately.

Maybe it's because they're also starting to see me as a different character than a clone?

That I can be someone they can call unique?

I see RJ looking at me again, and he smirks. As if he's able to hear what's in my mind, he says "I think ya gotta have more confidence in yerself. Ya are really somethin' more, but ya just can't see him unless ya let him appear."

 _How do you know that?_ I ask, uncertain.

He smiles again. "I just do. And I think ya do too." I am about to write something more when RJ interrupts. "Come on! I think I got time to learn more on 'tis. Ya wanna teach me more?"

His wide grin banishes all the thoughts in my mind, enough for me to temporary forget who I really am once more. Smiling myself, I brush my hands and pick up my board, ready to teach some more.


	12. Chapter 12

*Blows dust off site and coughs*

Crap crap crap, not again! Oh my Ralph, not again!

I can't believe that I haven't updated this in like forever!

*sighs*

Oh well, Chapter 12's here. Enjoy.

* * *

RJ

"Come on, come on!" I call, waving my hand. "We don't have much time left!"

I tug down my hood further and look behind me. There's the railing, along with the ladder that led down to the Older Net. I just used that exact ladder to get myself out, and I know very well that I'm not the only one doing this.

I hear grunting, and then suddenly, a huge hand reaches over and grasps the edge of the pavement. The other hand quickly follows, and with them, the character whom the hands belong to is hoisted onto the pavement, also with a hood pulled over his head.

Smoothing down his poncho, Terrance stands on the pavement just in front of me, his features just barely visible under the shadow of his hood. But from that, I can see that he has a confused expression on his face, as if he's trying to understand why I pulled him out of the Older Net right after the moment I came here.

"Come on!" I call again. "We don't have all day!"

 _But I thought you just came here!_ He writes on his board.

"Yeah, yeah. I know. I mean…yeah, we got loads of time left. But we might not have much left if we keep standin' here doin' nothin', right?" I ask back. I wave my hand again. "Come on! I really have somethin' big I wanna show ya! Not sure where it is exactly, but we'll get there eventually. Ya with me, Terry?"

The character in front of me turns his head away, as if thinking for a moment. He turns it back seconds later, looking at me before nodding. _I guess so_. He replies.

"'Tis not every day that someone asks ya to join along for an adventure, right?" I ask, grinning.

Terrance looks away shyly. He has a faraway grin on his face has he nods again. I can see deep down he's excited for this; he just doesn't want to show it.

"Consider it to be a first, then!" I say. "Oh, and can ya use some ASL instead of yer board? I wanna try to see how well I'm at 'tis now."

 _It's only been two days, RJ!_ He writes. _Don't push yourself too much!_

"Well, it never hurts to revise, right?" I shoot back, laughing as we both leave the alleys and start walking on the main streets on the Internet, weaving among the many, many avatars who were also there at that moment.

"Ahhhh!" I scream, glitching slightly as I dodge an avatar that has gotten too close to me. at the same time, however, my glitching has sent another avatar flying across the road, causing her to yelp for a bit before picking herself back up like nothing has happened.

"Ugh! I hate these avatars! I hate them! I hate them!" I say, screaming as I trip over another one that crossed the road just in front of me. "They never look where they're goin' here! Never! Ugh!"

 _THUMP!_ I turn to see my friend collapsed on the ground, just in time to see an avatar or two vanish into bits underneath him. Obviously, he'd just tripped on an avatar and squished another with his figure. It is painfully clear that Terrance is suffering just the same as I am, that the avatars are not doing any good to him as well. After all, we're both invisible to them, right?

 _Yeah, I hate them too._ Terrance glances over at me. _They look like they own the world and such._

"Not today, Terrance. Not today. Yep, I've got prepared."

I kneel on the ground, carefully slide off the pack off my shoulder, and rip it open. Today, my pack's much heavier than usual, having filled with something that I can't tamper too hard with. As I traveled to the Internet, I kinda regretted bringing that particular thing along, especially when I knew my pack might get all messy if I did the wrong move. Still, I had enough of these stupid avatars, and I think Terrance feels the same towards them as well.

I'm going to teach some of them a lesson, and it's going to be so much fun.

Carefully, I pull out a huge bottle out of my pack, careful not to let the brownish liquid inside spill or fizz out. When I first had this idea in mind, I _so_ didn't want to use these, didn't want to use one of the ready-made bottles of Diet cola sold in a store down another game back home. But I can't risk ruining my pack with the real stuff in Diet Cola Mountain. Look, that stuff is _broiling_ hot, I learnt it the hard way, and I can't guarantee that that thing won't burn through my flimsy bottle. I mean, if I were pulling this prank back home, I would have greatly used the cola from the Mountain, but it's not the same this time. I can't let my pack get ruined because of this.

I set the bottle of Diet cola onto the ground and continue looking through my pack. _Where is it…_ I think, searching. _I think I've put it here somewhere…_

I hear shuffling and I look up. Terrance has walked up to me and kneels also. _What are you doing, RJ?_ He asks.

"Giving ya a basic science lesson, my dear friend." I answer, pulling a small pack of crushed Mentos out of my pack before zipping it and slinging it back over my shoulder. "Ya see, there's some stuff out there that can cause really big stuff when they come together. These two ya now see here, the Diet cola and Mentos, don't put them together unless ya really know what ya doin'."

Terrance nods his head, looking intensely as I pull some string from my pockets and tie the Mentos together. I carefully place them in a stack, like a tiny pillar before securing them down. I then look over at the bottle of Diet cola, finding it to be slightly fuller than I imagined. I go over and twist cap off, and am about to put to bottle to my lips when I remember that there's someone here that hasn't gotten a taste of this fantastic stuff before, and that someone happens to be kneeling next to me.

I hold the bottle out to Terrance. "Here! Ya try 'tis. Just take a sip: I'm gonna need most of these for what I'm doin' next, but I can buy more if ya like it."

Terrance reels back slightly, his face clouded with confusion as he looks at the bottle. Still, he reaches a hand and grabs it, before taking a small sip of the Diet cola. His eyes widen as he tastes the beverage, his head jerking back a bit as he swallowed the sweet liquid down. He looks at the bottle again, tilting it carefully and cocking his head as he tries to understand what on the Internet did he just drink.

"Well, whataya think about it?" I ask, "Is it _good_ , huh?"

Terrance doesn't answer. When he opens his mouth, a burp unexpectedly comes out, and he covers his mouth on impulse. He glances at me nervously, and also at the characters around us, his face reddening further than it usually is.

I just smile. "'Tis okay; everyone does 'tis when they drink cola. Yer not alone." I reassure Terrance, recalling the burping contests Ralph and Vanellope would do with root beer over at _Tappers_. I don't bode well with root beer, but I make a go with cola and join in at times. Terrance pauses, then he passes the bottle back to me. "So what do ya think of it?" I ask again, accepting the Diet cola.

My friend doesn't respond, but eventually he picks up his board and starts to write. _It's strange._ Terrance admits. _It's sweet, and I can feel bubbles. Not like anything I've tasted before_.

"I'll take it that ya like it then!" I beam, taking the bottle back. "Diet isn't really _that_ good, in my opinion. I'll buy ya the real stuff later."

 _You still haven't really told me what you're doing yet!_ Terrance says, looking right at me again. Now that Terrance has drank some of the cola away, the bottle is just full enough for what I'm about to do next. I take the pillar of Mentos and carefully lower it down into the bottle, making sure that none of it has touched the cola yet. I lie on the ground, making sure that the position of the Mentos stack really is correct. There can't be any mistakes with this, there can't be.

I breathe out a sigh of relief: the Mentos stack is hanging just where I wanted it to be, in the perfect position. I take the cap from the side and start to screw it onto the bottle.

 _What are you doing?!_ Terrance asks again. I didn't really pay attention to him, but he seemed quite concerned by what I was doing. Frankly, I can't blame him: I've done this dozens of times already, but this is probably his first time seeing something like this. It'll probably not be his last, though…

"Watch 'tis."

I twist the cap firmly onto the bottle, making sure that the tip of the Mentos stack is just directly above the cola. I stand up, motion Terrance to move out of my way, and then hold the bottle with both my hands. I steady my hand and squeeze one eye shut; the next act is going to be the most important part of my plan: get this wrong, and I'll probably have to end this day early with sticky, soaked clothes, all while being grilled by my brother of what I have just done.

I shake my head. No time to think about that now. _Just focus!_ I tell myself.

Taking aim, I clutch the bottle and shake as hard as I can, shaking it for a full ten seconds before releasing my grip. The bottle flies off my hands, sailing on a straight beeline towards the crowd of avatars, who currently has _no_ idea what's about to hit them…literally.

The bottle reaches the avatars. Just before it hits the ground, though, _BAAAAAAAM!_ The bottle explodes, turning into a million shards of plastic and cola and Mentos pieces. I don't know if the avatars can hear the sound, but it sure looks like they can, for I see a few of them slip and fall when the explosion occurred. The ground, previously dry, is now slicked with cola, causing a fair amount of the avatars to slide across the road. And to top it all off, the location I picked happened to be right next to the edge, where the conveyer belts and pods run above, and also where the endless darkness awaits just underneath. Screaming, some of the avatars fall off the edge and into the darkness, while a few of them are struggling to stay on top. Seeing them struggle, I can't help but smirk, smirking at the pathetic little idiotic creatures that just ruined our journey mere moments ago.

Terrance gasps. He stands up quickly and runs towards the edge, stopping as he glances down at where the avatars have fallen down the darkness. We both know very well that the darkness probably reaches the Older Net, where Terrance claims as his home; but we also know that the avatars probably won't survive the fall, vanishing upon contact with the ground.

Terrance turns to me, his face with an expression I can only describe as a cross between anger and disbelief. Holding his board up high, he starts 'yelling' at me furiously.

 _You. Did. NOT!_

"Yes, I did." I say, shrugging. "Ah, 'tis nothin'. They'll probably be fine, don't worry. Don't worry."

 _You built a BOMB!_ Terrance 'shouts' at me. _I can't believe it! I can't believe you would do something like this!_

"Ah, ah, ah." I wag a finger at my friend. "Wait, stop there. That's not a quote/unquote ' _bomb'_. Specifically, 'tis a device that just happened to be slightly explosive, that's all."

 _SLIGHTLY?!_

"Well, they deserved it, right?" I ask back. Turning away from Terrance, I make a face at him. God! That's such a Ralph thing to do, to chew me out at times like these. Sometimes I kinda forget Terrance is a clone of my brother, but it's not hard to remind me of him when he does almost the same things that Ralph would probably do. Like chewing me out after I made a quote/unquote 'bomb'.

"Oh, all right." I sigh, turning back. "Maybe that _was_ a lil' bit too harsh, but I really hate those guys. Let's just give them a lesson today, and just today, alright?"

Terrance scowls at me, his eyes narrowing. I can tell he's not convinced.

"Oh come on! Sheesh!" I wring my hands, frustrated. "Can't ya just learn to have some fun?"

 _By hurting someone?!_

"Uh…" I start to reply, but Terrance stops me again. _Sure, I hate those guys too, but you don't have to do that to them!_

"Terry…" I try and start again, but he cuts me off once more.

 _You can't do that to them. I know they're really horrible, but honestly they didn't do anything wrong to us. They just can't see us, really. They don't deserve this. We have no right to prank them like that._

Terrance scrubs his board clean, and then flips it back with a new sentence.

 _If you're planning on doing more of this, then I don't want to continue our friendship anymore._

I stumble back, shocked by Terrance's words, shocked that he would 'say' such a thing. For a moment, I thought my friend was joking, but I also knew very well he wasn't be making that face up. His face hardens as he glares at me, taking a step back as he does so. And when I look at him, I can't help but feel awed by his reaction to my prank, and the way that he stands firm to his beliefs.

Maybe it's because of his backstory as a clone, that he had hurt others in the Crash and didn't want to do that again, yet I get the feeling that's not his only reason. It is like Terrance is stopping me not just because of triggering his bad memories, but it's because that's who Terrance really is: a character who despite everything, genuinely cares about others, and will not force others to do something they didn't want.

As if he really is someone more than a clone of Ralph…

"Okay, fine! Ya know what?" I wring my hands about. "I'm gonna say it now. From now on, no more 'bombs', no more prankin' on the avatars, even when they're totally despicable. Nuh uh, 'tis all over."

 _You promise?_

"I promise." I glitch in front of Terrance and extend my hand. "I don't want to call off our friendship, I really don't. But if what I did made ya uncomfortable, then I'll stop it. I'll do exactly what ya just said."

Terrance looks straight at me one more, then he shakes my hand. _Don't do that, again._ He writes, and then cleans it straight off and shoves it into his poncho. He walks off in front of me.

"Wait! Terry!"

Terrance turns around, startled by my call.

"We're headin' 'tis way." I say, pointing in the opposite direction. "We're gonna go to a search site before we get to where I'm takin' ya."

 _Okay, fine._ Terrance 'replies', running back and tripping onto the ground. Luckily this time, there were no avatars around: I guess the 'bomb' really was useful in scaring some of the avatars away, no matter what my friend just said. Still, I don't think Terrance will ever see me doing this stunt again, given how he reacted to them. And frankly, the more I think about it, the more I think Terrance (and Ralph) are right, that this prank might have gone a bit overboard, even to the characters I don't like. Rancis sure looked angry and frightened when the cola sprayed all over him, and it's pretty much the same reaction for the avatars. Terrance is right: they don't really deserve to be victims of my pranks.

Still, it wouldn't hurt if I didn't perform the same prank in front of his face…

Terrance suddenly turns to me. As if he has heard my thoughts, he writes down _Promise me you won't do the trick again, even when I'm not around._

Hoo boy.

Darn.

"How…did ya know what I was thinkin'?" I let out slowly, surprised.

 _I just do. Just don't do it_. Terrance shrugs, and then continues to follow me towards the search website.

* * *

 _What is this place?_

Terrance and I are standing in front of the gateway leading into a website, hidden in the Gaming District. Huge banners hang above us, while avatars are pouring in and out of the doors. I hear shouting and yells from inside the site, but it's not because of chaos.

"I think it's sorta an exhibition of sorts." I mutter. "I mean, Yesss just told me there's somethin' interestin' here, but she didn't tell me what." I look towards the gateway again. "Ya wanna go in and see what is happenin'?"

Terrance looks at me, and then nods his head.

"Then let's go!" I say, leading the way. Inside, the exhibition hall looks larger than on the outside. I can finally see where the shouting is coming from; it's from the many, many stalls littered around the venue. Netizens and avatars are walking to and fro from the stalls, some of them hauling something away when they left. The whole area is teaming with energy and laughter; almost everyone's in high spirits.

"Okay. Ya got some cash in yer account?" I ask. When Terrance nods his head, I smile and reply "Good. Maybe we'll not be together at 'tis exhibition at the same time, but if ya see somethin' ya like and ya think ya can buy it, then do it. I won't stop ya."

Terrance looks surprised, but a moment later he nods again, and lumbers to one of the nearby stalls. I can see him pulling up his hood nervously as he approached the stall, and I can't really blame him. But I think he'll be fine; he told me that he engaged in more conversations and interactions lately, and so far, none of the netizens or characters had laid a hand on him. Yeah, this area's much bigger and has much more characters huddled in the same spot, but I'm not really that worried. Yup, not worried at all.

I turn my head, and see a character with a cap standing in a booth nearby. Fully clothed in green, the character is currently polishing something in his hands, rubbing it furiously with a cloth.

Hey, wait a minute; I know you!

"Hey there!" I call, waving and going to that particular booth. "I think I've seen ya before! Yer Spams-a-lot, right?"

The character tips his cap and laughs. "It's just Spamley, JP Spamley." And I remember you; you're the guy that declined my offer to 'get rich playing video games', back over at _eBay_! What are you doing here, young man; had a change of mind?" He finishes, raising an eyebrow mischievously.

"Never." I laugh back. "Yesss told me about ya, and that she hired ya to be one of her 'Sign Holders'. She also said that yer here for somethin' big." I look over his shoulder, at the many shelves and everything they contain. "What do ya have here?"

"Just some of my goodies." Spamley waves a hand excitedly. "Ice Blades, Double-Jump Boots, SparkleCrackers, Fury Swords…you name it, I'll see if I have it! Almost everything is from my customers, and I'm selling some of them here!"

"Whoa..." I gasp, taking in everything Spamley has in his stall. Last time Spamley and I met, he told me that there were many gamers seek after these weapons, but I didn't really believe him. Now, with all these weapons presented in front of my eyes, I finally realized why that is the case; these weapons and tools really are beautiful, and powerful too, I believe. The shiny metals reflect my figure, gleaming and shining under the lights.

"Tempting, right RJ?" Spamley asks.

"Temptin' inde-wait." I look straight at the character. "How do ya know my name?"

"Oh, Yesss told me. That gal just knows a lot of characters, okay? She's a social butterfly, gotta stay connected!"

"Righty-o." I say, and then turn back to the weapons. "Gosh, they're beautiful. All of them." As I'm still looking, a flash of gold catches my eye. I glance up, trying to see where it came from, finally able to find it coming from a blade hanging near the center of the wall, right behind Spamley. Pointing to that weapon, I ask if he can bring the sword over to me. Instantly, Spamley's face lights up, and he starts untying the strings holding the sword to the wall.

"Ah, good eye!" He says, his back turned as he keeps on working on the knots "That's the King's Battle Sword, aka the Wipeout Blade. Team of two bought this baby over to me from _Castle Raiders_. Class Ten weapon, high destruction value, one swipe and you can clear at least 5 acres of land in front of you."

"That's pretty impressive." I marvel as Spamley finally places the sword on the table. I pick it up, finding it to be much lighter than I imagined, and tilt the sword over in my hands to look at all the details. The shiny metal has no trace of rust on it, the blade with its sharp edges, the detailing on the handle applied by a delicate hand. I'm kinda tempted to swing it, but I don't know what will happen if I did it here. Spamley did say I can clear lands with this thing, so I don't think I should tamper with this, even more so when I don't really know much about this Wipeout Blade.

"'Tis thing's awesome!" I say. "I'm guessin' it doesn't cos-oh, come on; are ya kiddin' me?" I let out as I see the price tag dangling from the handle, boasting a number that is far greater than what I already have. Sighing, I give the sword one last stroke, and then haul it back over the counter. "Ya seriously think characters are gonna buy 'tis stuff? With the price?"

"Oh, you don't know much, RJ." Spamley wiggles an eyebrow at me. "People are willing to pay everything to get what they want. They just want that hard to win, that's all I can say. It's not that crazy, to be honest: I've got some stuff back there that are much more expensive than that Blade."

"Then don't show me." I interrupt, waving my hands. "I don't want any regrets."

The character laughs. "Okay, then. But if I remember correctly, I think I've got some cheaper ones on a leaflet nearby." He turns his head back. "Hey Gord, leaflets! And so, as I was talking, there are some other weapons and stuff that are more common, and I sell them at a much cheaper price here. If I can just get the-GORD!"

Surprised by Spamley's sudden yelling, I yelp and glitch back, only to yelp and glitch again when I realize that there's another smaller character standing next to me. The character is extremely short, wearing a brown sweater that almost fitted his entire figure. His huge eyes are the only things I can see popping out at me. He is nothing like anyone that I've seen before, both back home and up here.

"AHHHH!" I yell, crashing backwards towards the stall, pointing. "What _is_ that thing?!"

Spamley chuckles. "There you are, Gord; you sneaky boy as always. Hey, the leaflets; where are they?"

As I watch from the stall, one of Gord's seems to extend and stretch towards me. I can't help but stumble back further back into the stall, sitting straight up completely. Yet soon enough, Gord's hand is mere inches away from my face, even though he hasn't moved from his place at all. A few leaflets are held at the end of it, beckoning me to read them. His hand didn't move anymore, so cautiously, I reach my hand and carefully pluck the leaflet out of his grasp.

"Thank you." I mutter as I read the leaflets. Compared to the horrendous pricing of the Wipeout Blade, these weapons and objects are much more affordable, barely over the price of 30 dollars. I see a pair of silver shoes being sold for 15 dollars, while a wooden sword is more expensive at 23 dollars. Yet, nothing advertised on them jumps out at me. None of the weapons catch my eye, and none of the objects interests me either. Spamley had warned me that this stuff would be more common than the blades displayed, but I really can't believe the fact that I can't get myself to pick and buy any of this stuff! None of them!

I shake my head at the leaflets. "Thanks, but…I don't have anythin' I wanted to get…yet." I say, standing up and passing the leaflets to Spamley.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." I reply. "Pretty sure. And besides…" I see a familiar reflection from the blades behind Spamley and turn around. There, Terrance is standing, fingering his device nervously in his hand. "I got a friend waitin' for me."

Spamely tips his cap. "I won't hold you up, then. Have fun with your friend here!" He waves, and I catch a glimpse of Gord, now peeking out from behind the stall, waving as well.

Waving back, I rejoin Terrance and head over to the stall he is pointing in. Another netizen is there, selling hats and caps of all sorts. Seeing what he is trying to tell me, I try to hold in my giggles, but it's enough for Terrance to hear and turn in my direction.

"Wait, so yer askin' me if ya can buy a cap for yerself?" I ask.

 _Yes._ Terrance writes, nodding sheepishly. I can't help it, I really can't, but I blurt yet another laugh.

"Well, next time, ya don't need to ask me for 'tis!" I say, picking up the cap and flashing the price tag at him. "Reasonable pricin'. Pretty sure 'tis isn't some special kind of game-based stuff of sorts..."

"Well, yes and no." I glitch a bit, startled, and turn around. There, a blue-skinned character is standing behind the mountain of caps, coats, pants and shoes, smiling. I can see Terrance has turned around as well, and is also gaping at the character.

 _What do you mean?_ Terrance 'asks'.

"These clothes were all made in the online game that I work in; _Designer Dreams_. The gamers come in and make all sorts of clothes for our characters to model in. Last month we asked all our members to come up with all sorts of designs, so we can sell them here or anywhere else. We're still a relatively new game, just backed by a kickstarter program, so we definitely would like some funding here and then."

"I see…" I mutter, my gaze shifting to a cap Terrance has plucked off the pile of clothes. It is red and white, with a shooting-star logo on the side, and seems to be just large enough to fit on his head.

I can see him smiling as he inspects the cap, and I get his message. "Can we try 'tis on?"

"You can."

As soon as he hears this, Terrance bends down his knees, to the height where I can partially block him from the other character. He slips his hood backwards a tiny bit, just enough space for him to fit something underneath. He brushes his hair down, places the cap neatly on his head, and looks at me intensely to hear what I will say.

"Hey, that cap looks good on ya! Good eye!" I smile, giving Terrance a thumbs-up. My friend smiles, and bending up, turns to a mirror behind him. He readjusts the cap under his hood, turning his head side to side as he glances at his reflection. With the cap and the hood worn, it became much more difficult for characters to see his face; but underneath it all I know that there is a character underneath with a faraway smile, a character who just happened to be my friend.

Terrance turns to the character in charge, writes down something I cannot see on his board, and proceeded to take out his _BuzzzyBuxxx_ card for payment. I would have stopped him and paid instead, but I also know he won't feel good if he let me do just that. I did, however, after my friend's approval, choose three more caps from the pile and bought them with my own money. Just mere days after he got officially approved by Yesss into _BuzzzTube_ , Terrance had forbidden me to transfer every single dollar into his account, leading to me having some money of my own every time I head online. Not that's a bad thing, but still…

The head character seemed ecstatic when we leave the stall with the four caps, and Terrance and I head over to another part of the exhibition, where we get some food and drinks before continuing. Seeing that Terrance might have taking a liking to the Diet cola I gave him earlier, I grabbed some of the regular variety for him to have a taste. Before drinking, though, Terrance narrows his eyes at me, his glare cutting through as if saying _"Don't do it, don't you dare pull that prank again!"_ Of course, I'm one not to break promises (for now, at least), and so looking back at him, I simply popped open the cans and took a sip, my hand never reaching into my pack the entire time. Terrance lets out a snort, one that greatly reminds me of Ralph, and then digs into his own Cola as well. I let out a sigh of relief. _Well, that was easy._ I think.

The other section of the exhibition seemed to be leaning more on showing rather than selling, but we both found it very entertaining as well. One section gives characters the opportunity to 'fight' one another through what I think is swords of light, another gives volunteers a change to sorta 'soar' through the sky when a headset is placed onto them, and yet another hoists a game for the players to try and win some prizes. To be honest, I think this section is much more interesting than the previous one, and I can see Terrance is having a fun time as well. Of course, not both of us were at the same booth at the same time, but I can sense that he's enjoying the exhibit as much as I am right now.

 _This place is HUGE!_ Terrance 'tells' me, trying to get a glimpse at everything.

"Yeah, and I can pretty much see why Yesss told me to come here. There's loads of awesome stuff, and some pretty cool demos! And also…"

 _ZAAAAAAAP!_ I glitch in surprise, trying to see where the sound is coming from. Looking around, I can see we're almost back to the selling section of the exhibit, and the sound is coming from a stall that is right smack in the boundary of both areas.

 _You want to go there?_ Terrance 'asks', pointing at the stall.

"Kinda." I say, shrugging a bit at him.

We go over to the stall anyway.

A character, doesn't look exactly young though, was displaying some gun-like weapons to some of the avatars passing by his stall. It doesn't look that he was selling the stuff, though, as no one had pulled some something or another to pay him with.

Or maybe they're just not really that interested in the stuff he brought out.

The avatar in front of the stall has just walked away, and so we both step up to the counter. The character's eyes light up as he sees us coming. "Well howdy do! Anything that caught your eye?" He asks us.

"Well, sorta." I say, "I mean, I _heard_ it from a few booths away."

The character gives out a hearty laugh. "Well, one of the avatars was testing some of my shockguns; they're pretty loud to be honest."

"Shockguns?"

"Yeah, a cross between a shocker and a gun, if you know what I mean." Seeing my confused expression, the character scratches his head as he continues. "They're weapons, of course…that are gun-like…that can shoot out electricity. Though this is still just a prototype: we're still trying to perfect the technology before we roll it out to our game."

"That sounds so cool…" I mutter, reaching out and stroking some of the Shockguns placed on the table. I then remember the sound that I heard from a few booths away; the character said that an avatar was testing them. Does that mean that I can…

"May I?" I ask.

The character smiles warmly at me, and so I pick up one of the Shockguns displayed, weighing it in my hands and holding it up. The barrel of the gun crackled with power, sparks shooting from within every now and then. I reach to my chest and loosen my stabilizer, and then aim the weapon at one of the targets provided.

I press the trigger.

A blast of electricity shoots out of the gun, going straight towards the target. My aim was a little bit off, but I still managed to make the board. Almost instantaneously, a loud crackle of electricity rings out as the target is completely bombarded with blinding light and countless sparkles shooting out here and there.

By now, I have released my finger on the trigger, but the sparks keep on flying, shining brighter and brighter every second. Over the earsplitting crackle, I ask, half-yelling "Was that supposed to happen?!"

It wasn't.

It definitely wasn't.

For the very next moment, the target has started to fall apart, and the electricity has already raced to the surrounding walls around it. The three of us yelp and duck down, just as the crackling and lights reach their maximum, and then everything falls silent.

Slowly and carefully, after confirming that there are no more crackles, I stand up and look over at the targets. Saying that the area was wrecked is a complete understatement: the whole area was completely burnt black, the targets shattered and falling to the ground. As for the one target that I aimed at…it was _gone_ , like really, gone! It was if my blast had completely destroyed it into oblivion, without leaving any trace behind.

"Whoa…" I mutter flatly, glancing at all the damage. Terrance's mouth has almost hit the ground, gasping in shock as well.

"Yeah, 'whoa' is all I'm gonna say, young man…" The character said, raising his eyebrow. As another piece of the target crashes down, I gingerly pass the Shockgun back to the character, but instead of taking it, he just stares at me.

"Interesting…usually characters wouldn't be able to do that much damage in a single shot…" He turns the weapon in his hands, examining it. "Hmm…the glass on the barrel was damaged, that explains the huge damage: too much electricity was used in that shot alone. Gotta get that fixed, but that's strange; normally it's thick enough not to let the electricity out, as characters aren't able to interact with it easily. Unless…"

The character sets the gun down on the table and looks me straight in the eye. His gaze seems menacing, to the point I can't help but glance away.

In a hushed voice, he asks me. "You're a Glitch, right?"

Immediately I gasp, stumbling back as quickly as possible. I tried not to do it, but I can feel myself flickering as I staggered back. It was if my code was trying to betray my status to the character, despite my efforts.

"Who…what?" I ask, glitching again. "How do ya know? What do ya want?"

"Hey, hey, hey! Relax, young man!" The character smiles at me. I'm still not sure what he wants, though. "That's okay, you're fine. I'm not telling anyone about this! I know Glitches, I know them very well. In fact, we have a Glitch or two in our game as well and let me tell you: they have 'trouble' written into their codes."

I can hear Terrance snort slightly before the character continues. "You're much powerful than any Glitch I've ever seen, though. From what I just seen, I think you might have accidently connected your Glitch into the electricity in my gun. Is that right?"

Recalling the moment that I held the weapon, I faintly remember a brief flash of green running quickly across my left hand and onto the Shockgun, but I'm not exactly sure. As I Glitch, I didn't really think much about it then; I mean, I always flickered every now and then; but now, thinking back, it makes a lot of sense.

Sorta.

Giving the gun one more look, he places it away and gestures me to step up to the counter. Glancing over at Terrance, I can see that he's signing something to me. _You're so dead._ He 'tells' me, all while wearing the same nervous expression as I am. I flicker again, suddenly scared. I mean, I just broke something, tore it apart with my own Glitch! The targets as well!

I don't want to know how much I'm gonna have to pay for this.

Sighing, I step to the slightly-singed counter, right up to the character. "Alright." I mutter nervously, heaving a huge sigh. "What's the damage? How much do I have to pay for 'tis?"

The character unexpectedly smiles back, and then states his price.

 _"Nothing."_

My jaw hits the ground.

"It's your Glitch's fault, not you." He explains. "You wouldn't be able to do it if you're a normal character."

"Yeah, but…uh, I didn't control it, no?" I ask hesitantly. "Didn't I, uh…let it loose and blew yer stall up? Isn't that what happened?"

"Well, that's what something called _insurance_ is for, right?" The character asked back. "Oh wait! I haven't introduced myself, have I?"

Seeing me shake my head, the character continues "I'm Darius, Master of Weaponry and Defense from the Kingdom of Orion from the game Masters of Legends. As I was saying, the programmers of our game had started developing some new weaponry, but they haven't gotten some of the coding of it right. Well, we decided to take things into our own hands, and try to see if we can fix it. As I mentioned, we have some in-game Glitches and they helped test some of these out; but as you can see, we still have quite a way to go."

"Wait…please don't tell me that I destroyed yer protype Shockgun…" I ask, slowly walking back.

The character sighs. "Unfortunately…that _is_ our prototype." He then catches himself. " _Was_ , okay."

 _Crap._

"So let me get 'tis straight: I just managed to blow up yer one n' only in-development prototype weaponry and also yer store."

"Yup. That's right."

As another piece of the debris slowly crashes down, I heave a very big sigh. "Okay, so basically I just wrecked everythin'." I mutter. "So what is it that ya want?"

"Tell you what; let's make a deal. I'll give you the Shockguns for free, you help me test them and report any potential bugs, and I'll let this issue go. You don't have to pay for the damage."

Wait.

 _Wait what?!_

My jaw drops again as the character bends under the stand and slides out a briefcase. He opens it, showing two Shockguns, similar to those that I just tested, nested perfectly in the centre; only these are completely new and undamaged. Rested in the briefcase near the guns, I can see a few clear vials, placed neatly one by one.

"Oh, those are electricity holders. They store the electricity and you pop them into the weapon and _bang!_ You're off. We intend to provide an electricity source with the usage of them, but I think you'll manage it with your Glitch." With that said, Darius clicks the briefcase shut and slides it towards me.

A few moments pass as no ones does anything. I feel a nudge from behind, and I step forward to the counter. I reach out a hand as if to take the briefcase, but I quickly withdraw it back.

"What's the matter?" Darius asks. "Don't you want them?"

"Yes!" I exclaim, but then I start to get suspicious. "Hang on; there's no such thing as a free lunch. How do I know that yer not up to somethin' bad or whatnot?"

"Seriously, kiddo. That's really the reason why I came here: to find someone to test them out. And I'm pretty sure you're the dude I'm looking for. We need some serious Glitches to see if these Shockers do their job well."

"And yer sure I won't destroy them like I did with those guns?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. "What makes ya think I'm the guy yer lookin' for?"

"Well…actually, I expect that you're gonna destroy them, and then we can make adjustments to it and whatnot. But if not then we'll know that we're on the right track."

"So I just take these, go somewhere n' test them, maybe wreck them in the process, and then tell ya everythin'? 'Tis that what ya want?" I ask.

"Precisely!"

"Okay, I'm sold. So where am I gonna test them?" I ask, picking up the briefcase.

"Anywhere you like, kiddo!" The character smiles back at me. "Or if you want, just search up 'The Most Danergous Game on the Internet' and test them here."

"Good idea. Thank you!" I call, hauling the heavy case off the counter and walking away with Terrance, waving back as I do so. As we walk further, my friend bends down and peers closer at the case, having a doubtful expression.

 _You sure you trust that dude?_ He asks me.

I stop in my tracks, glancing down at the briefcase. A sudden feeling of uneasiness sweeps over me as I registered Terrance's words; he's right, I had just accepted these weapons in probably less than an hour, and I know for sure that wasn't enough time for me to make the right judgement abut that guy. I mean, although he saw that I was a Glitch, and he gave me the go-ahead to try these, would he be leading me into a trap without me knowing it? Did he had something else in mind when he asked me to test the Shockguns out?

I shouldn't have made that deal.

I shouldn't.

It wasn't the right thing to do.

I am about to turn back to the store to drop off the weapons when something clutches my shoulder. I turn to see my friend's hand clutching me. He shook his head, and nodded towards the exit.

"What do ya mean, I shouldn't go back?" I ask, confused. "Didn't ya just told me I should no accepted the offer? I don't understand Terry!"

 _Yeah, but if you headed back…_ Terrance furrows his brow before continuing. _Then you'll look a coward in his eyes. Maybe he's really just nice enough to let you try these out, RJ. Maybe you should try them first._

"But wouldn't it be safe?" I ask again, wringing my hands. "Wouldn't it?"

 _You never know until you tried them_. Terrance signs, shrugging.

I let out a shrug myself. "Yeah, I guess that yer right. Must have been overthinkin' 'tis…"

We make our way out the gateway and back into the busy Internet. Terrance taps my shoulder again. _He told you test these at 'The Most Dangerous game on the Internet'._ He reminds me. _Any idea where that place is?_

I shake my head. "No-freakin'-idea." I admit. "But that's not a problem: I'll just go n' search it up n' go to wherever it tells me to go. That's what the search engines' for, right?"

My friend shrugs. _Wonder what that place is…_ He signs.

"Yeah, wonder what it is…" I repeat, walking out with him. "I'm bettin' 'tis somethin' real scary…"


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Guys...**

 **I'm sorry.**

 **I really thought I would be able to finish this chapter quickly, but in the end everything just didn't feel right, and I had to put it down due to not thinking of anything that could end this in a good way. But...yeah, I'm sorry. I'll try and finish up this story within this year, even though I don't think anyone really cares about this. XD**

 **Anyhoo...enjoy!**

* * *

RJ

"Seriously?!"

I rub my eyes as I glance up at the tall building that currently loomed over me: a huge metallic structure that rose the sky with a no-nonsense feel to it. A large skull hovered over the many stairs that led up to the website, while flames occasionally shoot out of pipes attached to the outer walls of the building. Halfway up the structure, a gigantic sign is plastered, boasting the name of the game: _Slaughter Race_.

Okay, I admit that this place feels kinda intimidating: the skull, the flames, the name which has 'death' written all over it, and the fact that Terrance had bolted to back to the Older Net when he realized _this_ was _'The Most Dangerous game on the Internet'_. No, I'm not making the last one up. When I arrived onto the Internet, Terrance had originally planned on tagging along, curious to see where I was going to test my Shockguns. But as soon as I said in my input and the result for _Slaughter Race_ popped up, Terrance gave a loud enough squeal to make me jump and within a minute, he had made enough signs to indicate he was not coming with me before running back down the way he came, disappearing in a few seconds.

I didn't even have the chance to ask why he was not coming.

I just stared at the spot he was previously earlier in disbelief when the netizen in charge of the search engine snapped me back into reality. The character asked if this was the place I was heading to, and not knowing what to do at that moment, I just nodded. Moments later, I was sent onto the Internet Highway, on a direct beeline to _Slaughter Race_ without my friend along. As I sped past the many buildings and websites, I can't help thinking about Terry's reaction, and the reason why he became so fearful all of a sudden. I mean, Vanellope made her home there, and she's a _kid_ , for sweet user sake! If she thought it was appropriate enough place for her to stay, then I don't think this game is, like, the most dangerous one of them all.

Then I remembered: Terrance was one of Ralph's clones that tried to get to Vanellope while taking over the Internet. Maybe that's the real reason. Maybe if Vanellope happened to be in another place like _BuzzzTube_ and Terrance knew about it, he'll also use every excuse he can to avoid going there. After all, they've had a, um…not so pleasant memory together, right? But to me, Vanellope's a friend, a fellow Glitch, a great partner-in-crime when it comes to pranks. There's not really a reason for me to be fearful of her, right?

As my carriage enters the Gaming District, though, I swatted that thought away and instead start to get curious of what _Slaughter Race_ for me. _'The Most Dangerous game on the Internet'_ must have something that the other dangerous games back home didn't have. Calhoun's game, _Hero's Duty,_ yeah that one is scary with all the cy-bugs and shooting and stuff, and even then Vanellope didn't seemed too scared of entering it. There must be some reason why this game is called the most dangerous, something that I haven't seen before.

…which is why I'm currently glancing up at the building that housed _Slaughter Race_ in disbelief.

"Seriously?" I ask aloud again. "I mean, seriously?!"

Just then, an announcer's voice booms over my head, making me glitch in surprise. _"SLAUGHTER RACE! ENTER AT YOUR OWN RISK!"_ As if on cue, the pipes of the side start spewing fire once more, as if confirming that this is indeed _'The Most Dangerous game on the Internet'_.

I sigh and look back at the entrance. "Now yer just makin' fun of me, right?" I say.

There is no answer. Heaving yet another sigh, I kneel on the ground and rip my pack open. Carefully, I take out one of my Shockguns and examine it, running a finger against its smooth surface. With even more care, I unhinge the glass barrel from the weapon, currently empty of power. I know very well that the moment I entered the game and start testing these Shockguns out, I'll be donating my Glitch as a power source. It should be fine; after all, it's not the first time I've used a Glitch Shock on others. Stroking the weapon, I keep reassuring myself mentally that I'll be fine, yet there was something unsettling about it all, as if there is something I still don't know, as if that my usage of these weapons might have effects that I cannot expect would happen on me…

Still, there's no turning back: I _did_ promise that I'll test these suckers out, right? Placing the gun back into my bag, I sling it back over my shoulder as I start towards the entrance. A simplistic artwork with silhouettes of a building and a sunset background is located above the stairs, bearing the game's name and the same words the announcer yelled out moments ago. Apparently, 'enter at your own risk' is the slogan of this game. Shaking my head once more, I tug on the straps of my pack and climb the stairs up into the game.

With my every step, the brilliant, blue light from the Internet started to retreat, and is instead replaced with a murky, orangey, relatively more natural glow. Breathing in deeply, I can't help coughing at the smog that is somehow present. Coughing hard, I bend my head down as I continue up, looking down at the stairs. When I looked back up, I find myself at the top of the stairs, the Internet long faded behind me and I standing in what seemed to be like a town.

No, 'town' is an understatement; it should have been _city_. Not as impressive or as shining as the Internet or even like some games back home, but a city nonetheless. Buildings loomed, some faded with age and decay while some still new as ever. Everywhere, I can see characters mulling about, characters that have similar human-like appearances as me. I walk further in, seeing two of those characters run by, but these two are slightly different in the way they move unnaturally and have usernames over their heads.

 _Are these the players?_ I wonder in my mind. _Are these the characters you have to control to play the game?_

Those two characters have reached the end of the street, heading to a gang of burly characters gathered there. The group sees the newcomers and advances towards them, walking with confidence in every step. It is then I realize the lack of usernames above their heads.

Then they start to punch the two characters. Hard.

As I look at the group of characters in disbelief, a loud explosion goes off, it's resounding noise echoing around me. I turn around, only to be nearly smacked in the face by a running character, his face completely covered and his pack bulging with cash. I glitch out of the thief's way, tripping as I land on the sidewalk near the road. I hear growling and glance around nervously, looking for the source. The growling returns, and now I see it: a huge hound with its teeth blared menacingly, slowly making its way towards me. Scrabbling back quickly, I can feel my code racing as I reach down and unhinge my prosthetic leg, waving it in my hand as if to fend off the dog. I know very well that this is a futile attempt, and I should have done something better, but I can't think of anything else.

Turns out all that effort is unnecessary, for when the hound is still walking to me, out of all the possible things, a huge _shark_ bursts out of the manhole set in the middle of the road, chomping down on the pooch and swallowing it whole. Then as if nothing has happened, it slowly slinks back down the hole, disappearing.

It is all so fast, even faster than Terrance's disappearance from the Internet; so fast, that I just sit there on the sidewalk, gasping as I stare blankly at where the shark was. But at least I am still smart enough to remember that I am currently one-legged, and so I take my makeshift weapon and place it back on its original spot. It is then I stand up, still gasping rapidly as I pull my hood further down my head, my feet wobbly. I can hear another explosion go off in the distance.

Okay, now I understand why this place is called _'The Most Dangerous game on the Internet'_ , turns out the netizens weren't bluffing after all. Seriously, the word 'Slaughter' in the game's name is nothing to joke about. Everywhere I look, there is danger; where imitating characters come at you from all sides, where predators lie in the shadows within, and where there are just too many options to get yourself a game-over. With all its dangers, it is such a far cry from the kid-friendly, candy-filled, sweet-enough-to-get-you-diabetes _Sugar Rush_ back at _Litwak's_.

And to think that Vanellope had _somehow_ chosen this game over her old home…

"I don't understand!" I say to myself "Vanny, I just don't understand! Look at 'tis place! Just look at it! There's smog, there's danger, there's characters beatin' each other up! 'Tis a super chaotic place! No wonder Ralph threw a fit; why did ya choose 'tis place over home?"

Just then, a car launches out of a nearby alley, flames that are both real and painted fashionably shooting out of it. The car is quickly followed by a second one, this one much duller in appearance yet has the same speed as the first. This car runs up a ramp, launches itself into the air, and then lands on top of the first one in a flourish, causing it to swivel out of the way out of my sight.

Something blares in the distance. It's not an explosion, I'm certain of it. I whip my head back to see a freight train, and that several more cars of all sizes are maneuvering over it skillfully. Another vrooming sound makes me turn, and I see two more cars, one driven by an avatar with a load of cargo on it, while the other tries to overtake it in experienced movements. A third motorbike quickly trails after the two, speeding down the road in a flash.

As I look around, the roads start to become blurred, merging together to become one crazy track where all the drivers are racers. And although I cannot see a finish line anywhere, I can feel like everyone's trying to reach a certain goal in the game.

Just like _Sugar Rush_ …

Oh.

Okay.

I can see it.

I can see it now.

"Okay, I take it back." I admit, laughing a bit as I run a hand through my hair. I look around again, amazed that I had not been able to notice the many, many cars and vehicles parked near the roads on my arrival, or the fact that the other word on the game's title happened to be 'Race'.

"Vanny, ya lil' Glitch." I mutter "Ya really can't resist the urge to drive to new territories, right?" I turn around in a circle, glancing at everything in its full clarity. "So, I'm in a huge racin' game, right? Well, I can deal with that."

Reaching into my pack down once again, I pull out a metallic baton, and throw the pack back over my shoulders. Seeing that there's no one else walking on the pavement, I grip both my hands on the baton and run forward, leaping into the air. I can feel code rapidly forming under me, streaming out of my baton and solidifying themselves quickly. When I landed, I am not lying on the dirty ground, but instead on top of a sleek metallic motorcycle-like vehicle. I let go of what's left of my baton, reach into a compartment and pull out a helmet and a pair of goggles, and quickly zoom down the road.

While Ralph has a Wrecking Truck, with a wrecking ball and all, to drive, I have a Light Cycle from Tron, one that I obtained when I managed to fix one on my own. Since my second unlocking, I had lost almost all my Wrecker Powers, and I need some other equipment during gameplay to aid my brother. But other than that, I found my hands to be more delicate for fine movements, and if I knew exactly what I was doing I could even fix some stuff on my own. I remember the time when the power in our home was down, and I went down to the basement with a toolbox (Felix gave us one in case of emergencies) and flashlight to try and fix the problem. As I tried, I could hear Ralph asking me in disbelief what I was doing, why I was fixing instead of wrecking, and persuading me that I should just give up and run over to Felix to ask him for help. Yet I didn't listen, completely focused on the work at hand. It was a strange feeling, yet calming at the same time, as if I somehow knew what I was trying to do.

You should have seen Ralph's face when he saw me put down my flashlight and tools, connect my Glitch to the power box, and the lights flicker back on instantly. And that they stayed on for the rest of the night.

Sure, when compared to someone with a freaking _Magic Hammer_ , my efforts are no match for Felix, but I'm good, I'm good with it. I mean, I _am_ a Wrecker after all, but I think it's a good thing that I'm able to swap sides when the time comes. Such as kicking this dead Light Cycle completely back to life, and claiming it as my own…

As I cruise along the road, I can see more cars and their drivers, some of them dodging out of my way as I came near. I can see motorbikes too, but they're greatly unlike the one I'm currently riding upon. Seeing all these drivers on the road at the same time, it gave me the impression that there are currently multiple games being hosted at the same time, several races for the characters to compete against each other at this very moment. Continuing to drive, I glance left and right, trying to see if there's a good enough place to test my ShockGuns, yet also hidden enough to avoid the gamers.

After about ten minutes of driving and twisting within the many streets, roads, and alleyways, I finally found a spot that seems good enough for my testing. I am now in a small space located in between several alleys, though I can see the main road just outside of my reach. A lamppost is right next to me, currently out of power. I can see a few boxes here and there on the walls and when I take a closer look at them, I can see they provided electricity for the characters that live here. Like I said, this is the perfect place for me to test my weapons out.

Though I sure hope no one is annoyed when some (or almost all) of their power is cut off unexpectedly…

I take off my helmet and put it back in its compartment (I didn't put my goggles away just to be on the safe side), fold my bike back up into my baton, and toss the metallic pole into my pack. I then take out both my ShockGuns and place them carefully on the ground, plucking the clear vials for the weapons out as well. Currently, they're all empty and lacking in power, but that's about to change very soon.

Sighing, I undo the stabilizer attached to my chest and set it down carefully. With my growing number of Glitch Attacks and my code getting more and more unstable, I am using through my stabilizers at a much faster rate than before. The last time I broke one was in the Older Net, when Terrance witnessed a Glitch Attack pounding the Hell outa me; I was insanely glad that I happened to have another stabilizer ready in my pack, just so Ralph was not suspicious when I returned to the arcade. I didn't tell him about the missing stabilizer, though…

Glancing around again, I look to confirm that I'm the only one in this alley, that no one is currently watching me or realizing that I don't really belong here. _Good_. Picking up one of the vials, I place my index fingers on both ends of it. I shake my head slightly, enough to slide my goggles back over my eyes. Concentrating, I then close my eyes, and let a small, yet significant glitch pulse through me.

Almost immediately, I can feel power rushing through me, power in the form of electricity that I accessed every now and then regularly. The Glitch churns through my code, but this time I can feel it concentrated on my hands and fingers, tingling wildly as I feel power coursing through. The character didn't tell me how much energy that this vial can hold, and I currently have no idea how full it is right now; I might have broken it already. I don't have too much of the vials, though; so after a few more seconds, I pull on the reins of my Glitch, slowly stalling it as I open my eyes.

The vial that I'm holding is no longer empty, but is now completely filled with a sparkling green source, occasionally letting out a crackle or two in the slightest. Pulling back my goggles, I hold the vial up to my face, mesmerized by the power source that the Glitch, _my_ Glitch, had contributed. Back home when characters mention about my Glitch, they always said it like it's a beast trapped inside me, trying to break free in the form of a Glitch Attack. They always said it was a dangerous, terrifying thing, with nothing good to look at. Looking back at the vial, it seems like my Glitch has humbled itself, becoming a delicate creature that is somehow beautiful in a way. I have no idea how this is possible, but I cannot tear my eyes away from it, glancing at the seemingly harmless power source trapped within its glass walls…

I shake my head, snapping myself out of my trance and pick up my ShockGun. I want to try the effects of one of them first before using both guns at the same time, just to get a feel of what one's effects really are. Packing the rest of my stuff back, I click the vial into the ShockGun's barrel, carefully connecting the power source to it. I place my goggles tighter around my eyes as I stand back up, my ShockGun in my left hand, ready to fire.

Looking straight ahead, I target the lamppost directly in front of me and fire my weapon. A green bolt of electricity shoots out of it, racing up the base of the lamppost and quickly making its way up to the light source above my head. Standing back a bit, I trace the Glitch's movements up the lamppost, and then suddenly without warning, the lightbulb above me shatters, breaking into a million glass shards that rain down to the ground. It was a good warning for me to quickly move out of the way for the very next moment, the lamppost _explodes_ , completely overwhelmed by my Glitch. I teleport myself away quickly as I see the lamppost quickly transform into a pile of twisted metal, and the nearby lights around in the buildings also flicker shut. I guess that my Glitch has somehow affected the electricity supply as well.

Gasping, I slowly make my way back to the wreckage, removing my finger from the trigger as I do so. Seeing all the wreckage, I am appalled at all the damage that a single blast of my ShockGun had made, but at the same time I don't feel fear pulsing through my code. I know I should be frightened, I know I should be; yet at the same time I feel a rush of excitement tingling through me. I know I'm causing trouble, and I'll certainly get chewed out for it; however I can also feel something in the air around me, a thrilling feeling that refused to let me, clouding me from the small amount of terror I got when I did my damage…

Unexpectedly, I laugh, and laugh some more, glitching as I do so.

I had barely used up that vial from the first shot, but I reach into my pack and make another, and then yet another one. I pull out that second ShockGun out my pack as well, readying it with one of my newly-made vials. I pull my hood further down my head, my goggles tighter over my eyes, and with a wide grin, I run out of the alleys. More characters have appeared, but instead of slowing down, I glitch or blast my way through them, surprising several characters as they saw me pass through. Meanwhile, I keep firing at the obstacles littered in my way, electrifying them with my powerful Glitch. Some of them explode upon impact, others last much longer, letting me see the trace of electricity flowing through before breaking up as well. I can hear gasps, the gasps of the characters (both the gamers and the ones who live here) as they see me and the damage I leave behind, blinking as if they've never seen something like this before.

I look up, just to see the main road again. As I run out of the alleys for good, a character darts towards me, her hands clenching around the bars of a metallic shopping cart with an obviously stolen television in it: I know because the 'ON SALE' label is still visible. Without stopping or looking, I whip my hand to my left and fire, electrifying the cart and the person holding it. I hear a crash, but I don't stop to look at what happened; not to mention that I already know what _did_ happen.

I jog out onto the main road, just in time to see the resident shark pop its head back down the manhole. The metal cover is still on the road. I glitch over to it, and quickly inspect the flat piece of metal before propping it up on the road, grunting in difficulty as I do so. I try to lift it off the ground, but it proved far too heavy for me: I need either my brother or my friend here to help me. I set the metal cover down and then look back up at the road: there are several cars in the far distance, rushing towards me. _Good._

Quickly, I swap the ShockGun in my right hand for the one on my left, blast it at the metal cover, and immediately glitch away from the road. Instantly, almost all the metallic objects near the cover: scraps of metal, cars, even the prosthetic on my leg, starts to be dragged towards it. I glitch further, just enough for the magnet to lose its effect on me and all the metals to collapse onto the cover with a satisfying _BOOM!_ I wait a few more seconds, and then creep back out onto the road, laughing as I survey the damage. Sure, it's not as impressive as what I did back in the alleys, but it's super satisfying, nonetheless.

"Get off the road, you manic!"

Surprised, I look back up, just in time to see a character driving straight towards me. The character had his teeth blared, and he kept honking his horn loudly, yelling as he tore down the road. But I don't move, I don't leave the road, not even when he is so close that I can read his username hovering above his head.

 _wr3ck-IT_ra1ph_SUCKS._

I gasp. I glance at the username again, and then at the character using it, narrowing my eyes. My God, what a username! So this dude, who is insulting my brother with his username, is now currently telling me to get off the road?! Unbelievable! How dare he! How _dare_ he!

The player keeps honking, but instead of running away, I kneel down onto the ground near the metal cover. I take a deep breath and smooth out my jacket, flickering madly at the same time. I don't know if the character can see me glitching, but it doesn't matter: he's found to find out soon. I take a look at my ShockGuns, and then quickly swap one the vials with the one I'd prepared back in the alleys. The car keeps tearing down the road, honking madly, and so I work fast, and faster still.

With both weapons almost full of power, I look back up at the player, who is just a few feet away from me. It then dawned on me that the character that the player is insulting may not be my brother at all, but someone else with the same name. Sure, such a name is uncommon, but this character might not be the one from Litwak's, might not be the one who shares a heart-shaped medal with his bestie, might not even have a brother who happens to be a Glitch. There's tons and tons of _Fix-it Felix jr._ games out there in the world, or maybe even online! Who knows if this is really my brother that he's talking about?

The car comes closer and I shake my head. There's no turning back now.

 _This is for you, Ralph!_

Holding out both ShockGuns, I breathe in deeply, and then I connect my Glitch to the power trapped within the vials, blasting its full power towards the car. _wr3ck-IT_ra1ph_SUCKS_ simply raises his eyebrows, but that faded quickly when my Glitch descended upon him in its entirety. Completely shocked by my powers, the player flails his arms and loses his grip on the wheel, his car swiveling left and right out of control as it still rushes towards me. Quickly, I turn a somersault on the ground, just barely enough for the car and its passenger to flip over my figure and crash onto the sidewalk near a few barrels, upside down. I can't really see the character from all the electricity surrounding it, but it didn't matter as the car exploded the very next moment, tongues of flames completely consuming it in a matter of seconds. I can only assume what was in the barrels only added fuel to the fire.

For a moment, I just stand there, but then I smirk, putting my hands on my hips as I look at what was left of the player.

" _Sayonara_ , sucker!" I laugh. "That's what ya get for trash-talkin' my brother!" I place both guns back in my pack before pointing fingerguns over the damaged car, laughing with absolute glee. As the flames continue to rise, I am so busy gloating over my victory that I didn't realize that I was no longer the only one on the road, and that a car had slowly come to a stop not far behind me.

 _"RJ?!"_

Wait.

Who said that?

That someone calls my name again. It's a girl's voice, and it's high-pitched too, like a kid's. And the voice…it's so familiar, so freaking familiar; where have I heard it before?

 _No._

 _No! It couldn't be her! It couldn't!_

 _It couldn't be…_

I whirl around, just in time to see a green car stopped in the road some distance behind me, and its tiny passenger hop out of it. It was a little girl, with her raven hair pulled into a high ponytail with loads of candies strung within. She has a mint green hoodie on, along with a black double-pleated skirt and mismatched stockings. Her huge eyes are wide, her mouth agape, her body glitching slightly with disbelief as she looks at me.

She calls my name again.

For a while we just stand there, looking at each other but not doing anything.

Then everything inside me breaks down.

I let out a gasp.

I feel the pack slide off my shoulders.

I start to run, I start to glitch, I start to make my way towards the girl.

I feel the wind knock the hood off my head, tying it into knots as I keep running. The girl starts running too, the wind also playing hard with her ponytail as it flapped madly from side to side.

I run faster, and faster still. I can feel my eyes getting teary, but I don't even bother to raise my sleeve to wipe them off. I wring my arms wide open, and close them just as the tiny bundle of joy wiggles into my grasp.

It is then I stop, and I kneel down on the ground, panting hard. I'm still crying, but I sense that I'm not the only one; the little girl's eyes are starting to get bloodshot as well. The girl grips onto my jacket, crushing herself to me, her tears soaking my clothes.

It is then I call the girl's name.

 _"Vanellope."_ I say. "Oh, Vanellope. I just…I just…" Sighing a bit, I just finish "'Tis been so long."

The girl pulls back, and wipes her eyes before answering. "Same here, _StinkFace_." She tries to giggle at the nickname she gave me, but soon she starts choking up again. She hugs me tighter as she mutters "I'd never thought I'd see you again."

"Me too." I sigh, running my fingers through her ponytail. "I really missed ya. Really." Even being in her new home for quite a while now, it is surprising that she still kept her old clothes. Maybe she had a choice of new clothes when she moved here but she refused, as if it served as a reminder of her old home? I don't know.

She lets out a happy sigh, and then quickly glitches out of my arms. I stand back up, looking at her. "Ya grew taller, did ya?" I ask, laughing a bit. Vanellope laughs a bit in reply as well.

It's been so long, so freaking long.

I hear something rush into the scene, and I look up to see more cars: five of them I think, surround the two of us quickly in a circle. I gasp, but Vanellope seems calm about it, as if she knew what is going to happen next.

One of the cars, a red one with an open top, glides smoothly to a stop. The driver steps out, and I am surprised to see that it's a woman, and a very pretty woman too. She shakes her head slightly, pulling the hood off to reveal her wavy hair as she steps to the two of us without hesitation.

A few seconds pass, and then the woman breaks the silence. "Sir, will you stop gawking?"

Oh.

Oh, alright.

"Oh, um, sorry." I say, looking away. _Yikes, that is so embarrassing; what a way to start this off._

Vanellope has now run away from me and stood next to the woman. "RJ, this is Shank; she's my mentor in driving, and I consider her to be a good friend." She then turns to the woman and introduces me to her in a similar fashion. The woman smiles knowingly, as this isn't the first time she's heard of something similar.

"So, _Ralph Jerome_ ," Shank now approaches me with a question "you're the so-called 'direct relative' of Ralph that V was always talking about?"

I remember someone else asking me if I was Ralph's direct relative before. Guess that's how Vanny used to describe me to her online friends. "Well, I don't know anyone else that could be a direct relative to the big oaf." I say, grinning. "But if yer lookin' for someone that's very different in terms of personality and has a super mischievous prankin' streak…" I throw out my arms, striking a pose at the two. "Ta-da! His brother is here, in the pixels!"

Shank laughs, and then turns to Vanellope. "He's certainly much more interesting than how you described him." She comments. "And I didn't know he had an accent."

"Ooh, that's RJ for you." Vanellope replies, giving me a wink.

The woman laughs back at Vanellope, and then steps forward to me. "So, what brings you here to our game, RJ?" She asks me.

Running a hand through my hair, I say "Well, I just wanted to test my ShockGuns in _'The Most Dangerous game on the Internet'_. The results directed me here, and here I am." I then turn to the burning wreckage behind me, chuckling a bit. "And I also saw 'tis dude insultin' my brother with his username so, um…I avenged him."

"And that's a good thing, since…Let's just say the player that you just took out was the same player we were told to stop." Shank said, smiling. "He's a good player, dodged us for so long and tossed down a lot of red herrings along the way, yet you managed to stop him."

"Aww, geez." I mutter, feeling my cheeks redden. "That's…that's nothin'."

"I doubt it." Shank says, raising an eyebrow. "I mean, you also managed to cut out a third of our electricity supply deliberately with your glitches. I mean, that was you, right?"

Uh oh.

How…

How does she know?

"How…how did ya know? I mean," I start laughing nervously "what makes ya think I'm able to doin' 'tis?"

Shank grins at me. "Well, V said you were a huge troublemaker, and only a Glitch would be able to pull that off…" She eyes at my flickering body, grinning wider. "That being said, it's not the first time that our power has been cut off. I think you're fine."

I laugh. "Guess Vanny told ta that about me already."

"Shank!" Vanellope cries, popping back at my side. "Can I show RJ around the game? Can I? I wanted to do this for so long!"

Shank furrows her brow, frowning a bit as Vanellope dances around me, glitching with excitement. "Um…" She starts.

"Oh, come on! Can I?" Vanellope pleads. "Can I? Can I? Can I? Can I? Can I? Can I? Can I?"

"Alright!" Shank decided "Okay, but just for an hour or two. Then you'll have to get back to racing. We can't hold the players down for too long."

"Yay!" Vanellope tugs on my sleeve. "Come on, StinkFace! I gotta show you this cool place I found here! Get in and I'll drive you there!"

"Really?" I ask, chuckling. "But I already have my Light Cycle, which…oh no!" My smile immediately vanishes as I twirl around in a circle. "My pack! I, I…" In my reunion with Vanellope, I must have dropped my pack! And out of all the places that I could have lost it! "Darn it, darn it, darn it…" I wring my hands, glitching nervously as the reality of the situation dawns upon me. I could have lost all my belongings for good, just because I saw Vanellope and left my guard down for a mere second…

Shank barks out a laugh. "Don't worry, younger Wreck-it." She nods her head towards one of the other racers, who holds up a familiar object in her hand. I gasp loudly, for it is my pack that is in her grasp. "It won't happen again, so keep a closer eye on it next time you reunite with someone."

I glitch forward and clutch the pack to my chest tightly, and then carefully pull it onto my back. Shank and her gang start towards their own cars, and one by one they back away from us. Shank gives us a wave as she speeds by us, and soon the cars are all specks in the far distance, transporting the drivers to another part of the game. Vanellope and I watch them leave, and then she turns to me. "Come on!"

I get into Vanellope's car, which is greatly more spacious than her old kart back home. I pull down the seatbelt, and then turn to Vanellope. "Don't ya need yer seatbelt on?" I ask.

Vanellope playfully glares at me. "This is _my car_ , and I can do whatever I want in here!"

"Including disobeyin' someone who's greater than ya?"

"Oh, so _you're_ the one speaking now?" Vanellope shoots back at me. "Let me see…Ralph told me that someone back in the arcade had just managed to build a huge barricade filled with stones and candies and chairs and medals and all kinds of crazy stuff and stuffed them in front of _every gate in Game Central Station_. No one could leave their games for two whole days! I mean, who would do such a thing—oh, the character sitting right next to me, you're welcome."

"No, 'tis not me!" I argue back. But for those keeping track at home, it _was_ me: last time when Ralph reported that someone had clogged up the tunnels in _Pac-Man_ , he told the characters that I didn't do it, believing that I didn't have the power and strength to do so. So…let's just say with a bit of effort and a bit of sweet-talking to successfully convince my brother and Felix to let me have a day off I've proved myself. That I've proved them wrong.

Vanellope giggles, rolling her eyes at me. _"No wonder yer such a baaaaad influence, Ralph Jerome_. _"_

"No, I'm not!" I laugh "And I don't talk like that!"

"Yes! Yes, ya do! Ya talk like that all the time!" Vanellope imitates me again. _"Yer a baaaad guy."_

This time though, I don't fight back. _"Duh."_ I finish.

Vanellope grins at me, and then slams her foot down on the pedal, sending the car, and the two of us in it, speeding down the road.

* * *

"I didn't know ya have burgers here too!" I say, taking huge bites of it. Vanellope and I have currently left the streets of _Slaughter Race_ and are sitting on the ledge of a mountain, overlooking the entire game from above. Back in the Internet, this game didn't seem too impressive when it is among all the other websites; but from this height, I was cealrly proven wrong as the true beauty of the game screams out at me, stretching as far as my eye can see.

Vanellope takes another bite out of her burger. "Well, you can thank your brother for that: he brought them fresh over from _Burger Time_ a few weeks ago, can't find any decent ones here on the net. The ones from home? Still the best."

Wait.

Wait a minute.

Nearly choking on my burger, I sit up and look straight at Vanellope. "Did ya just say…a few… _weeks_ ago? Ya mean…Ya mean…My brother had gone online to visit and bring ya snacks and he didn't tell anyone about it?!" I yell.

"Wait! He didn't tell you?" Vanellope asked, also surprised. "He didn't tell any of you?"

"He didn't tell anyone!" I say, standing up. No wonder my brother was acting shifty that day, no wonder we couldn't find him anywhere in the arcade back then, no wonder there was a mile-long receipt directed at us from _Burger Time_ , no wonder there wasn't anyone else joining him on the visit; he didn't tell any of us, he didn't tell any of us that Vanellope was free that night!

I start to see red. "I can't believe my brother would do that to me! That's so selfish of him! That bas…" I glance over at Vanellope, at her huge innocent eyes, and quickly finish "…set hound."

Vanellope lightly punches me in the hip. "Trying to swear again, Ralph Jerome?"

I chuckle. "Ya know what I'm about to do, and I can't do it. Not in front of ya at least. Even if I'm mad at him, what I promised Ralph I will uphold." I wink at her. "Most of the time anyway."

"Even when I now live in a more violent game than yours?"

I looked at the girl straight in the eye. "Even then." I say, playfully punching her back.

We talk about a lot of things, sharing our stories from the arcade and on the Internet. I tell her about a recent party I had helped to throw for the Felix and Calhoun's kids in the penthouse, and as much I'm okay with kids, fifteen kids is definitely not something to joke about: Gloyd and Candlehead had managed to flood part of the dance floor, and we had to evacuate everyone to clean it up before the party can continue. Vanellope, on the other hand, talked about some trips she and Yesss had when they both have off-hours: recently she took her to a Japanese Tourist site, and although the two don't really understand the language they were blown away by all the beauty the site had offered.

"Don't ya miss home?" I ask mindlessly, taking another bite of my burger.

"What?"

I turn to her. "Don't ya miss home?" I ask again. "I mean, that's how long ya've been in _Sugar Rush_ , right?" To be honest, I am not too sure if I'm right since, despite looking older than Vanellope, I have only been unlocked in the past few years. In fact, Vanellope had reclaimed her throne before I was unlocked and became playable.

Vanellope shoves the last chunk of burger into her mouth. "If I'm true to myself…yeah, sometimes I do think about home, I do think about the arcade; but do I really miss it? Well…" She taps her tiny hand against her chin before answering. "Well…I don't know. Before Ralph came, I was bullied every single day, no one wanted me to race or play with them. I wasn't really treated well back then. Plus, I already knew every single inch of the place."

"I can understand that." I say, also finishing up my burger. "Bein' trapped for a long time is no joke."

"That's how I felt about it. So…by coming to a new game, I am discovering more of myself every day, that I'm finding new roads and different places, that I will not be following the same path I might have gone down if I stayed."

"That's an awfully mature thing to say, kiddo." I marvel, looking at her and running my hand through her hair.

"But honestly…do they still miss me?" She asks.

"Well…"

This time it is me who tapped my chin before giving her my answer. "I mean, sometimes they do mention ya now and then; but if I'm bein' honest…not too much. Rancis has even started datin' someone else."

"Really? Who? Tell me, RJ! Tell me! Tell me! Tell me!"

"Ah, ya lil' gossip gal." I laugh. "'Tis Taffyta, but don't tell anyone. I just saw them holdin' hands deep in the Candy Cane Forrest one day when there's no one around, thought no one was watchin' them. Don't tell anyone!"

"I won't tell." Vanellope promises me. "At least, there's no one I can really share it too, right?"

"Shank?"

"She's a secret keeper, doesn't spread gossip, no good."

I can't help but bark out a laugh. Good ol' Vanellope, still the same sassy girl as always. At least that still hasn't changed over her time on the Internet.

"But seriously…Even after all these months, I still can't help thinking the day that Ralph and I came onto the Internet, and I found my true calling here. I know Ralph caused the Crash and all, but a part of me keeps thinking that somehow I've played a huge part leading up to it. Like, if I have talked to Ralph before running off, and then talked it out peacefully instead of throwing his medal away…maybe none of this would have happened."

She sighs, and reaches into her hoodie, pulling out her half of the medal Ralph gave her before her departure. The medal continued the word _'my'_ and the latter part of _'hero'_. She sighs again, and I reach over and pat her gently on the back. "We all make bad choices, kid. Sometimes…things just happen. They just do. Don't take it too hard on yerself."

"That's what Shank's been telling me." She says back. "That I should look forward, both Ralph and I, and forget what has happened. But still…sometimes they all just come back at me, us arguing and he looked super upset and then the Internet Crash and the clones and everything…sometimes I just think about it."

I lean back on the hood as well, thinking over her words. Just then, out of the blue, I remember it.

"Vanellope, can I ask ya somethin'?"

"What?"

I take a deep breath. "What if I told ya…one of the clones from the Internet Crash is still alive?"

 _"What?!"_

Sitting straighter, I tell Vanellope everything, from me betraying Ralph and sneaking online and finding Terrance and vowing to help improve his situation, I just let it all out. I didn't even think about the huge possibility that Vanellope will spread this message out, but still I talk, talking until there is no more I can say to her.

"Oh wow…" Vanellope mutters, leaning back on the hood of her car. "So…why are you telling me this?"

"Well, ya just said somethin' about the Crash, and then 'tis just came up in my head. Just a random thought, nothin' else."

"And…" Vanellope suddenly has a fearful look on her face. _"Is he still out there, hunting for me to be his friend?"_

"Um…no?" I look away, thinking for the right words to say to her. "Let's just say that won't be happenin' anytime soon."

"Wait what?!"

"He's, uh…" I start, stumbling a bit over my words. "Uh…Let's just say he's super terrified of ya. He won't even set foot in 'tis game, let alone get ya!"

 _"Wait what?!"_

"Yeah! Ran off like a lil' girl once he heard I was headin' to 'tis game. Actually…" My face falls a bit as I sit back up. "I think he feels real bad about crashin' the Internet and tryin' to take ya by force. Feels real guilty about it, and he thinks that it's a huge punishment for him that he wasn't destroyed along with the others."

"So does he want to be my friend?" Vanellope asks, looking at me with wide eyes.

I sigh.

"Never said anythin' about it, but deep down, I think he does, he really does." I say. "But he's so scared of ya that he isn't willin' to ask. He blames himself for everythin' that happened to ya in the Crash, that he wasn't worthy of friendship because of 'tis, that no one should be friends with such a 'quote' 'unquote' rotten character like him…"

"He isn't willing to let his past go…"

I quickly glance over at Vanellope, who has now sat back up as well and looked away. "He can't forgive himself for what he did, right?"

"Right." I agree. "I really wanna help him, but he's just not willin' to take the chance. And I can't really blame him, he's a virus after all…"

For a while, both of us just sit there, looking over _Slaughter Race_ as the words sank in. I sigh, glancing mindlessly over the scenery as a small hand reaches up. I look down at Vanellope.

"Does he have a name?" She asks.

I sigh once more.

"Yes." I say. "His name is Terrance."

"That's a nice name!" Vanellope commented. With that, I nod my head, agreeing. "He chose it himself ya know? Even then he wasn't sure if he was worthy of renamin' himself…"

There is more silence.

"I wanna meet him."

 _"What?"_

Vanellope looks up at me. "I wanna meet Terrance someday. I mean, if I'm being honest, I'm scared; but…I really wanna help him. I can be his friend, if that's the least I can do."

"Kid, no one is forcing ya!" I quickly say, and I can see despite her words, Vanellope is shaking a bit, even glitching. "If yer scared, then don't do it! Don't force yerself to do somethin' ya don't wanna do!"

"I'm not forcing myself!" She screams back at me, standing up. "I really wanna help! He's insecure! I helped Ralph face his insecurities before, what's the problem with helping another one, RJ?"

"And ya can't tell Ralph any of 'tis!" I yell back, jumping down from the car and looking straight at her. "He doesn't know Terrance's still alive, and ya can't tell him! He doesn't even know _I'm_ on the Internet! Think of all the trouble I-no, _we'll_ be in if he finds out!"

I breathe deeply in and out, glitching a bit too, and then look back up. Vanellope has scooted away from me in terror, and I sigh. "Sorry, just got a lil' bit out of control here."

"Me too." Vanellope admitted. "But I really want to help. I won't tell Ralph anything about this, but…I just want to meet Terrance. I feel sorry for him. He deserves more."

"Ya really sure about 'tis kid?" I ask again. "I mean, ya really sure? He's really a virus after all!"

"Of course I am! Why are you asking this again?!" She replies sassily.

I sigh. Never mind about Vanellope, now it's _Terrance_ that I'm really worried about. What will he think if I'm bringing Vanellope, the very character he blamed himself for harming back in the Internet Crash, to meet him as a friend? I can't tell him in advance, or else he'll run away in terror at the thought of meeting her; I can't tell Ralph either, otherwise I'll be bringing Vanellope into greater trouble. I'm already ankle-deep in a huge mess right now, but with Vanellope's decision to meet the clone, isn't there any way that I can get myself out of this?

Is there?

Shaking my head, I sigh a final time in defeat. "Fine." I say. "I'll get Terry out tomorrow night, call him over to my place in _BuzzzTube_ -"

"I can't!" Vanellope interrupts. "Full day tomorrow! Sorry, RJ!"

"Okay, then the day after, or someday later." I quickly say. I fish out my Buzzy Device and toss it to Vanellope. "Gimme yer addy, and I'll see what I can do."

"Okay!" She tosses the device quickly back to me, now with a new name included in my contacts. "Gotta get back down now, Shank's waiting for me for start. Gotta get you back down as well."

"Okay." I glitch back into the car as Vanellope starts backing down the mountain. "Remember not to tell Ralph any of 'tis!" I remind her.

"I will." She promises. "Just…remember to plan the meeting for me."

"Ya know, never expected ya to say somethin' like that. That ya ready to meet someone that might have harmed ya in the past." I say as the streets of _Slaughter Race_ rush towards us, leaving the mountain behind. "Aren't ya scared?"

"Well, I am…but if I don't try, then I never know for sure, right?"

"Right." I agree. With a swift turn, Vanellope slams her brakes and stops me right in front of the exit of the game. I reach over and give the kid a hug before leaping out. "See ya later kid." I call, waving.

"You too, StinkFace." She giggles, and then she speeds away, leaving me alone at the entrance with a meeting to prepare.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: I forced myself to upload the next chapter faster this time.**

 **Also I _really_ hope Vanellope isn't OOC in this.**

 **Enjoy! :D**

* * *

RJ

"You sure he's in there?"

I pause, look down at the little girl holding my hand, and gently let my other hand fall to my side. It has been two days since I'd met Vanellope in her new game, and it's been two days since I told her that I had befriended one of the clones that had haunted her during the Internet Crash. I had told her that it's a bad idea for her to come here, but she had insisted on coming along, saying that she wanted to meet Terrance in person. This is a bad idea, very bad, but…what else can I do? Vanellope won't take no for a reason, right?

I don't think it's a good idea to have them meet in the Older Net, though, it's too dark and too easy for Vanellope to get lost in there; so instead, I had invited Terrance up to my _BuzzzTube_ studio earlier, made an excuse saying that I wanted company today, told him to wait inside for a while, and then went and grabbed Vanellope from _Slaughter Race_ for the meeting. If I'm being honest right now, I feel really bad about myself, like I'm about to do something that I might hurt my friend with. And by 'friend', I don't mean Vanellope, kid's fine; and although I keep telling myself everything will be fine, a part of me thinks that it's not, that everything will crash down the second Vanellope steps into the room, that I shouldn't have planned this meeting in the first place after all.

I breathe in and out, and then I bend down to Vanellope's height. "Yep, he's in there, waitin'." I say. "But are ya really sure about 'tis?"

"Of course I am!" She shouts at me, but her face drops briefly after a moment, bits of her body flickering. "Well…Okay, I'm a little nervous, actually. And scared, but not too much."

"Hmm?" I raise an eyebrow. "Ya tellin' the truth, kiddo?"

"Yeah, I am!" She says, flickering stronger. Apparently she noticed it too, and she turns away from me, closing her eyes as she breathes strongly in and out to soothe away her glitches. It takes a while for her to calm down, but eventually she opens her eyes and looks back up at me. "I talked with Shank about this, last night and the night before. And…maybe it's because our game was spared during the Crash she didn't really know what had I experienced and didn't really know what to say about it, which is strange. But…she knew that I am scared about this, and then she said something similar to what you did, that I shouldn't force myself to do something that I don't want."

"I getcha." I say. "That's why I'm askin' ya if ya really wanna do 'tis. If ya don't want to, I can take ya back, and we can pretend nothin' has happened. I can do that."

"I know you can. But…the thing is…I _want_ to meet him. I want to meet Terrance and see what he's like. Hearing from what you said about him, I think he's a nice guy, despite being a viral clone and all. And I want to meet him, I really do. It's just that…" Vanellope sighs deeply. "I'm nervous what will happen when I walk in. And I keep telling myself 'you're now in a game where everything is unpredictable, you're used to this already, you should be fine', but…I'm kinda not."

"Ya know what kid?" I say, cocking my head. "That's the same with me back then. I am very used to gettin' into trouble and runnin' off on my own to make new friends, but…I don't know, 'tis different 'tis time, like I can't tell Ralph anythin' abo-wait a sec, ya didn't tell Ralph about 'tis right?" I ask, clutching her shoulders nervously.

"Nope, you're good. We're good."

"Ah, good." I say, breathing a sigh of relief. "Anyhoo, what I was sayin' is that 'tis time 'tis different, that I cannot treat 'tis like my other pranks and friendships and stuff, and…maybe because of that I got nervous as well. But…as time passed, we got to know each other more, and I got less and less nervous every time despite keepin' 'tis all a secret from my brother. It just takes time…ya know what I mean, Vanny?"

"I do." Vanellope says, nodding her head.

I stand back up quickly. "So what do ya wanna do?" I ask her again.

The little girl sighs once more. "I…I…" She starts stammering, glitching again.

"Come on, don't force yerself." I tell her gently. "We've got all time in the world, ya should think about yerself first. If ya don't wanna do it, or do 'tis at another time, then just tell me. 'Tis fine."

Vanellope flickers for a few more seconds, griping her arms tightly with her head ducked. I kneel back down on the ground, cocking my head at her. A few moments later, she opens her eyes, not glitching anymore.

"Okay, I think I'm ready."

"For what, kid?"

She turns to the door behind me. "For the meeting. I am ready to meet him, no matter what happens. I know I have to face this sooner or later, might be best to get this over with now."

"Really?" I ask her again. "Ya sure?"

"Oh please, RJ! Stop asking me that so many times, it's annoying!" She yells, placing her hands on her hips as she smirks at me.

I let out a chuckle. "Okay, okay. Ya remember what and what not to say, kid?"

"Hmm…" Vanellope tapped her chin, slightly looking away from me. "Let's see…I can talk about everything, but nothing about the arcade or whatever that happened before the Internet Crash…oh, and definitely nothing about Ralph, right?"

"Right, ya got it kiddo." I say back. "We could be in very big trouble now, so Ralph must never, ever know about 'tis. And I guess the same can be said to Terry as well. Oh, and final reminder: don't ever mention the word 'friend' in front of him, or at least try not to. I mean, we both know why…"

"Oh, just chill, RJ. I'll be fine!" Vanellope said. "Can ya open the door for me now? I'm too short to reach."

I chuckle yet again, stand up, and turn to face the door. I slowly bring my hand up to knock on the door, but something inside made me pause. Like I'm not certain if this is the right thing to do, that I should just call this meeting off without any reason…

"RJ, will ya just do it?"

I shake my head, and look down at Vanellope. Looking straight at her, I pull my hood tighter down my head, and say a single word.

"Yes."

And I knock on the door.

Terrance

 _Ratta tat tat_

I look away from the window and turn towards the door. It must be RJ; he's been gone for quite a while now. It must be him, I shouldn't panic.

I smooth out my poncho, pull the hood tighter over my head, and stand up. It's been a weird day for me so far: almost immedaitely after RJ came to me in the Older Net, he invited me up to his _BuzzzTube_ studio, but with no reason whatsoever. He was saying something like 'he wanted company', but I wasn't really buying it. And then, without saying anything, he left me in this room and gone out an hour earlier, with no reason at all. If I'm being honest, I had thought of leaving as well: the fewer characters see me, the better; but somehow a part of me wants to stay, so take a look at what RJ is really planning for me. Which is why instead of leaving, I've spent the last few minutes sitting by the huge window, overlooking the huge screens _BuzzzTube_ is famous for, waiting for my friend to return. Strange to think that just a few days earlier, before I met my friend, I would have left almost at once in fear of being found instead of spending more time up here. Strange that what could happen when you have made a new friend after you think you've lost everything.

The door opens, and RJ slips into the room. His hood is pulled over his head as usual, and he's glitching a bit too. There's something off about him though, it must be his expression: he looks a bit more nervous than usual, for some reason.

"Hey Terrance!" RJ called, waving. "Ya okay here?"

I nod my head and show him my board. _Yeah, I'm good. You?_

"Kinda." RJ replies, cocking his head a bit. He moves slightly away from the door, but part of his arm is still hidden behind it. He glances quickly at something behind the door, and then looks back at me. He taps his finger on his chin, a nervous expression on his face. This makes me worried, since RJ is one of the most confident characters I have ever met; so why the sudden nervousness?

"Terrance." RJ takes a deep breath, and then continues. "There's someone I want ya to meet. Don't be scared, and don't freak out when ya see her, but…yeah, that's all I'm gonna say."

 _Her?_ Who's 'her'? RJ had said nothing of bringing a friend! What is he going to do to me this time?! They can't know that I'm still alive, nobody can!

Something in me starts to think it's a bad idea for me to be here, but I do nothing as I watch RJ slowly move further away from the door, revealing his arm little by little. By now I can see his hand, which is currently holding onto another much smaller hand. RJ has now away from the door completely, revealing a young girl with huge eyes and a ponytail, wearing a green hoodie and a miniskirt and mismatched stockings and-

 _NO!_

The very moment I see it, my eyes widen in terror, my head starts spinning wildly. By instinct, I turn away from the two, groaning as I place my hand to my head, clutching it in pain as I try and find my way back to my seat.

 _NO!_

"Terrance?" I hear someone ask. It's not RJ's voice, is it the girl's?

Pain explodes in my head and I moan, stumbling dizzily left and right until I somehow miraculously find the seat and sink into it, whimpering in pain. Terror floods through my code, and I shiver violently, trying to shake myself out of this feeling but I can't, I just can't.

"Are you okay?"

I let out a small cry, the ones that a strangled animal makes when it's in pain. I don't look back to see who said that, I'm afraid to, I'm afraid that if I turn back, I'll see the character that I don't want to see, the very character that had given me nightmares all this time I've been under.

The pain keeps on coming, not ceasing at all. I press both hands to my head tightly, hoping that it'll soothe the pain but to no avail. It seems like every time pain is slightly less unbearable, something inside me immediately cranks it back up with a vengeance, blasting me with unmistakable pain.

 _Make it stop!_ I scream in my mind. _Pain pain pain pain so painful so painful so unbearable so explosive make it stop make it stop MAKE IT STOP!_

"Are you okay?" The voice asks again.

 _No, I'm not okay._

 _I'm not okay at all_.

I hear faint footsteps, but I'm too caught up in my pain to pinpoint who they belong to. I keep rocking back and forth in my seat, groaning as pain continues to bombard over me. I don't even notice that the seat next to me is no longer empty, and someone has sat down next to me.

Somebody calls my name again.

The splitting pain is still in my head, but I manage to slightly turn and catch a glimpse of who had just sat down next to me. Yup, true to my predictions, a little girl is now sitting there, her huge eyes looking up at me in concern. I let out yet another small moan, and turn away from her, pulling my hood tighter down my face.

 _Why are you here?_ I frantically ask in my mind. _Did RJ ask you to be here? Or wait, is he trying to set me up **again**?! What is he trying to do? Didn't he know that I'm terrified of you?_

My entire body is shaking, both in fear and disbelief at what is really happening. I don't know where RJ is right now, but I don't think I can trust him after what he just did. He might have even have gone already, locking the door and leaving me in the room with the very character I am terrified of! Who knows what she can do to me! RJ, you scumbag, you little traitorous glitchy scumbag! Why are you doing this? What is the purpose?

What are you trying to do to me?!

 _What?_

I feel something on my poncho, and covering part of my face with my hood, I cautiously turn my head around to see what it is. And there, I can see a tiny hand, just barely touching on my arm. I let out a squeal, and flung my arm away, crossing it tightly against my chest. I'm so nervous I can feel sweat dripping down my forehead, soaking my poncho further.

 _Get away from me!_ I plead in my head, shaking hard. _Just leave me alone! Go! Get out! Get out!_

The girl doesn't leave.

"I'm so sorry, Terrance."

The voice is coming from far behind me. I turn and RJ continues to speak, his face looking very guilty. "I'm so sorry. I really don't wanna do 'tis, but it has to be done. And ya need to face 'tis sooner or later. Might as well…get 'tis over with."

 _Get what over with?!_ I scream in my head, anger flaring up. _You set this all up for me! Is this a trick or a prank or something?! Is this a joke?! Why are you doing this to me?! Aren't you my friend, RJ?! Aren't you?!_

"RJ, you can leave. I can take care of this."

I am surprised at what the little girl had said, but I am so furious at RJ that I can't even think straight. All I want is that I don't want to see him anymore! I turn away from both of them, covering my face with my huge hands completely, as if trying to block myself off from the rest of this room.

"Ya sure, kiddo? I mean, what if somethin' goes wrong? What if…"

"I'll be fine, RJ. Just…go."

I hear RJ sigh from the back of the room, and then I hear footsteps going out of the room. The door opens, and then swings back shut a second later, leaving me and the little girl in the room.

The anger within me is still flaring, but as soon as RJ had left the pain takes over me again, and soon quickly extinguishes the final tongues of flame. I breathe in and out deeply, and the terror of the little girl being in the same room as I am in falls upon me once more.

"So…Terrance, is that your name?" She asks me.

I am still shaking hard, but I manage to muster up an answer. Without turning my head, I bob it slightly.

"You…can't talk, can you?" She asks me again.

I sigh, hearing the question that I've been asked many, many times before. I don't turn around, but I shake my head, hoping she'll catch my response.

"I'm sorry."

There is a brief pause, and then she continues "I'm Vanellope, not sure if you knew that already but better safe than sorry." She pauses again, and then asks "I heard you like sandwiches, right?"

I don't answer, but she keeps on talking. "I've got a burger here with me. It's similar to a sandwich, but different at the same time. I'm not sure about it actually. Don't know you've ever had stuff like that before, but…" I hear the sound of rustling paper, and then Vanellope says "Here, I got one for you if you want to."

There is yet another pause, and then gingerly, I turn my head slightly, just so I can see the little girl. Her head is turned away from me, but she has her hand extended, an unfamiliar food hanging on the end of it. Is this the 'burger' she was talking about earlier? Is it?

It smells so good though, so carefully, I reach out and gently pluck the burger out of Vanellope's hands. I can see her turning her head back towards me, so I look the other way, hoping that she wouldn't catch me. Cautiously, I take a tiny bite out of the burger, finding it much different than the sandwiches RJ had made for me before. It briefly crossed my mind Vanellope may have put something in the burger to harm me, to torture me while she's here, but I'm so hungry I had finished the entire thing before I even have time to worry. I just hoped for the best that nothing will then happen to me because of this.

"I heard that you were from the Internet Crash, right?" Vanellope asked. Without waiting for an answer, she adds "What…happened to you? Why are you still…here?"

Her question pricked me slightly, but it was a dull pain compared to what I am experiencing now. Slowly, I reach into my overalls and take out a marker. I then take my board, write down my response, and without looking, passed it to the girl.

 _Building crash. One of the websites fell upon me and knocked me out, and when I woke up they were all gone. Every single one of them._

There is silence.

Then I hear the little girl reply.

"I know how you feel Terry." She says, passing the board back to me.

 _Ha! As if!_ I scoff in my head as I take the board back. I am about to write something else when I hear her continue. "Before the Crash happened, I was in a race and the game started glitching and everything started falling down. I was heading to the exit, but I wasn't fast enough. My car was caught in the chaos, and I was trapped underneath one of the buildings, completely knocked out. If it wasn't for… _someone_ pulling me out just in time, I…would have been dead by now."

A bitter thought crosses my mind, thinking why someone would care for this girl and not me even when we're in the same situations when she begins speaking again. "RJ told me what happened to you, and…I'm sorry there was no one to save or care for you. It…isn't fair, at all. What they did to you, that's wrong."

I don't turn around, but the pain has slightly lessened in my head, enough to let me hear Vanellope more clearly. And…am I imagining it, or is that _fear_ in her voice?

 _Nonsense, how can she be afraid of me? How can she?_

Still, I wanted to confirm if that is the case, and I pass her my board. _Vanellope, are you afraid of me?_

I hear my board being picked up, and then there was silence. I can hear Vanellope glitching, the same way RJ did but only much milder. A while later, her response also comes.

"If I'm being honest… _yes_ , I am afraid of you. What you and the other clones did to me and my… _pals_ in the Crash…it really scared me, it really did."

I feel the board being passed back to me, and I write a second question. _Then why are you here? Did RJ send you?_

"Well…"

Vanellope sighs. "Actually… _I_ was the one who wanted to come here. I wanted to meet you for real. I mean, I'm scared, but…I think that you are a good character. Even if…you're a viral clone and everything. And so, I asked RJ if he could take me here. It was all my idea, not his! It was all me!"

I let out a terrified gasp. Why did she have such an idea?! I slide myself a bit away from Vanellope, while she looks at me with a confused expression.

Then it hits her.

"Wait, Terrance…are _you_ afraid of me?!"

Oh no.

No.

No!

I can't let her know, I can't let _anyone_ know about this! This is such an embarrassment, definitely another joke to add to the character that is already unwanted. Vanellope may look like an innocent young, even cute, girl to many; but to me…she's my worst nightmare, haunting my already bad dreams. Some nights I see her running towards me, her features angry and demonic, chasing me as she hurls a hundred insults behind my head as we run through an endless maze of hallways; it always ended with me reaching a dead end and her catching up to me, with a such a murderous, crazed expression it always sent me sweating and screaming awake in terror. Other times it was much milder, where she was simply glaring at me from a distance with a disgusted look, as if disapproving my presence within her sight. And if I'm being true to myself, I would have been disgusted by my existence as well.

I turn away more from Vanellope, as if it is possible for me to avoid her question. But it is clearly not enough.

"Are you afraid of me?" She asks again.

At that moment, I am so terrified that I can't control myself. I feel my code racing like my mad and the sweat soaking my poncho again. My head jerks up and down quickly, forming a sort of nod as an answer to Vanellope. I can faintly hear her gasp in surprise.

"But… _why_ though? Why is that?"

I start to shake more and more in fear. I try to fumble up a response, but my trembling hands proved difficult. My words come out messy and unintelligible, and my board falls to the ground a couple of times, the ink landing on my hand instead. I suck in my breath tightly, trying to calm myself down but it is proving impossible. What simple response that only uses up seconds now takes minutes to complete, and what words that make up my sentence now have gone out of order. My vision becomes blurry, but after several minutes, I manage to shove my board back to Vanellope, and then slide myself as far away from her as possible.

I can't even hear the board being picked up, but if she did decide to read my response, this is what I had written:

 _Don't you hate me? After everything I have done to you in the Crash? I tried taking you away by force to be my friend, tearing down the Internet in the process! I killed hundreds of avatars; I threatened your friends; I did everything I can to capture you! Aren't you angry at everything I did? Don't you want revenge on me, to repay everything I did to you? Don't you?_

I can hear her glitching again, and then she slides her board back to me. She takes a deep breath, and then starts talking.

"That's not true, Terrance. That's not true." She says. "If RJ was correct, you were already knocked out before I got captured; you weren't involved in capturing me! You didn't kill the avatars; you just kicked their human counterparts out of the Internet, that's all! Sure, you _did_ help in tearing down some of the Internet, but you didn't do it on your own! What you did to me, you didn't do alone; it wasn't just because of you. It wasn't entirely your fault, it wasn't!

 _Then what's the point for me to be here?_ I write, shaking my head. _I don't understand!_

"Maybe…someone is giving you a second chance?" She asks me with a bit of hesitation. "Maybe someone thinks that you deserve to start again? Have you thought of that before?"

I shake my head. _There's no point for that anyway. Even if I try to change, characters will still remember what had happened instead of giving me a chance. Not to mention they tend to report viruses almost immediately after they saw one. To everyone, I'm nothing more than a mistake, something that is not meant to exist on the Internet in the first place. And besides, I don't think anyone will ever forgive me for everything I've done, no one will._

Vanellope looks at my answer. "Really? You think no one will forgive you for that?" She asks.

I nod.

"Have you tried forgiving yourself, then?" She asks.

I shake my head again. _What's the point?_ I write. _What is the point? I hate myself, hate that I'm created by that insecurity virus, hate that I'm created with all the mistakes my original had. I'm not even a real character! There's nothing good in me to forgive and be proud of, nothing!_

"What about RJ, then? Didn't he take a chance and became your… _buddy_? I mean, he saw something in you and took the chance, did he?" She further asks.

Angry, I slam my marker on the board, gritting my teeth as I chisel my words out. _Did he?! Is that really what he had in mind? If he was really my friend, then he wouldn't have hidden so many secrets about himself, he wouldn't have left when I really needed him, he wouldn't have set me up over and over again! He wouldn't!_

"I told you already! It wasn't RJ's fault that I'm here. It's my entire fault! I wanted to be here, he just helped! It was all me! Stop saying that it's his fault, it's not! It's not his fault!" Vanellope screams into my face before turning away from me.

There is silence.

The little girl takes a deep breath, and then starts talking.

"Look, I promised RJ I wouldn't say this, but I…I know how you feel Terry, I really do."

 _We have more things that we have in common? This is unusual._ This curiosity prompts me to turn my head slightly back towards Vanellope, as if to hear what she wants to say to me.

"A long time ago, I had a mistake in my code, and everyone teased me about it. They never invited me to play or hang out with them, and…said I was not supposed to exist. A part of me wished that was really true, that…I could just vanish one day. I mean, no one could even care if I'm gone anyway."

I let out a gasp, and turn completely towards Vanellope. Had the girl completely read my thoughts? Was she able to do that? I briefly recalled the past few months I've been hiding on the Internet, trying to survive and not get caught by the authorities. No one liked a virus, no one liked a threat near them; there's really no place for someone like me. I wasn't supposed to stay; if it not for the building crash, then I wouldn't be here after all, so why should I prolong the inevitable? Why should I?

Sometimes after a rough day, maybe after a failed attempt to steal supplies or I've been spotted by the netizens, the thought of going through the Antivirus archway floated up in my mind. I knew in the Crash my brothers didn't go through the archway, but I also knew that if they did, there's no way that they can survive it. I've heard rumors that in the Antivirus District, all mistakes will be destroyed, every single one of them, vanishing from the Internet without a trace. I have a hunch of where it's at, but so far I haven't been able to completely locate it: I've never seen it in person during my trips, yet I feel I'm getting close. And when I do find it, maybe I can just… _go through it and disappear_ , leaving the Internet and joining all my brothers. I mean, hey! There's one less virus to care about on the Internet, one less threat to look out for; isn't that worth celebrating about?

"Terrance? Are you still here?"

I shake my head, pulling myself from my thoughts and turn back to Vanellope. She looks up at me, her body slightly shaking and glitching. She takes a deep breath, and then continues.

"But then…I met someone, someone…I realized who has been through a similar process and knows what's it like to be me. And frankly…I didn't believe him at first. I thought he was joking, but then he tried his best to help me, breaking rules here and there and even standing up against the characters that bullied me before. It made me realize that even if he didn't have a mistake like I did…I'm not alone."

"With his help, I was able to prove myself out, turn my mistake into something useful, and kinda got accepted by my peers. But most of all…I found myself having a very good friend that I trusted more than anyone in the whole wide world." She finishes.

I sigh, jealous of what Vanellope had just said. How lucky can she be, having a friend that has gone through something similar and defending her for anything? Sure, RJ's a good friend, but I'm pretty sure that he doesn't know what I've been through, or else he would have told me already.

And by the end of the day, I'm still alone in the world, I still am.

For some reason, I can feel my sweat starting to become tears, and unexpectedly I choke out a sob. I turn away from Vanellope again, resting my face in one of my hands. My other hand swings naturally downward, landing on the seat that we're on. No, I can't let her see me cry. I can't let her realize that I'm crying because I'm jealous of what she has been given. I can't let her know. I can't.

I let out another sob, and then…then, I feel _something_ holding onto one of my hands, the one that is not covering half my face right now. The grip gets tighter, and I slowly turn around.

To my surprise, the little girl has managed to slip one of her tiny hands into mine, clutching one of my huge fingers gently. A few small glitches race down her arm and up into my finger, leaving a faint tingling sensation behind.

For a while, I just stare at our clasped hands, none of us making a second move. A part of me desperately wants me to jerk my hand away, just like the first time when Vanellope tried to touch my arm before this 'conversation' happened; but somehow, I feel another part holding me back, firmly pulling me towards the girl, telling me not to run, telling me to stay, telling me to give Vanellope a chance…

I decide to listen to the latter part.

Gradually, I return my grip on the girl's hand as I awkwardly start to turn my entire body around. I can still feel myself crying, but I don't care, I don't care. The little girl returns my grip, holding my fingers tighter and tighter. I can feel my code starting to race again, but I ignore it, forcing myself to completely face Vanellope, not turning anywhere else in my seat.

As I sit there, I get a chance to take a closer look at the little girl, seeing clearly what she is really like. Her large eyes stare back at me, but I can tell that it's out of concern. She shakes her head a bit, her dark candy-filled bangs and ponytail flapping along with it. With her free hand, she smoothes out part of her pleated skirt and then tucks it back into her mint green hoodie pocket, and kicks her tiny legs with mismatched stockings to and fro, making faint _thuds_ against the seat that we are sitting on.

Vanellope is just a sweet little girl, nothing remotely close to what I saw in my nightmares.

But then again, maybe she's just fooling me in a way that I don't understand yet.

For a while, we just look at each other silently. As I look at Vanellope, I can see her starting to calm herself down, and she started glitching less often. She shifts her position to face more directly to me, and then she begins talking again.

"I know you're scared, I am too, but…I have a feeling that this will pass, that…we are able to put everything that happened behind us and start over. We can do this, Terrance, right?"

I don't answer.

"You need to let your past go, Terry. I know you're scared, but you have to stop blaming yourself for everything! I know that you're a viral clone, but so what? I was coded as a mistake, as a Glitch, as an outcast; but did I let that define me? No! And neither should you!"

I still don't answer.

Vanellope lets go of my hand. I am convinced that she had finally given up on me when she stands up and suddenly takes a flying leap at me, a beeline straight towards my neck. I can't even do anything to defend myself when she throws her tiny arms around me, her head gently landing and resting against my chest.

I can feel my code racing in horror, and I can feel my arms fighting to rise and swat the little girl off my chest. But no, I can't do that to her, not after what she just said to me.

"You know," She mutters into my poncho. "You don't look as scary as I thought you would be. You look quite nice, and kinda… _friendly_ really."

I gasp.

Did I hear that right?

Did she say that I am _friendly_?!

No, this is a mistake, she just made a mistake, it has got to be.

Vanellope pulls her head back and looks at me. I just look back at her, and then I turn away slightly, write down a response, and show her my board.

 _You're kidding, right?_

"No…I'm not. Why do you say that?" She asks, her eyes wide.

I write my reply down. _How could you say that I'm friendly when I'm really not?_

Vanellope takes a deep breath. "Well…I don't really know honestly. A small part of me still thinks that you're one of the clones that tried to hurt me in the Crash, but now that I have met you, I…don't see you as one of them, really.

I raise an eyebrow. _Really?_ I 'ask' her back.

"Really!" She says, a bit louder this time. "And you shouldn't see yourself as that as well! You're not as bad as they say you are, you're not!"

I shake my head. No, Vanellope has made a mistake, she really has.

She starts speaking again. "And yes, I forgive you, Terry. It isn't really your entire fault but, if it makes you feel better, I _do_ forgive you for everything."

I feel my code suddenly pause.

I feel myself unable to move.

I just simply stare back at Vanellope with my jaw dropped and my eyes wide, unable to believe what she has just said.

Did she just… _forgive_ me?!

Did she really say that?!

Did she really mean it?!

Have I really been forgiven by her?!

I can hear my code starting back up again, and I blink my eyes to clear my mind. I shake my head quickly, and then look back at the little girl hugging me.

"I really mean it, Terrance. I really forgive you. You're really a good character, and I don't want you to feel bad about what you said you did to me back then. So if that makes you feel better, I want to forgive you for everything. In fact…"

Vanellope reaches into her hoodie pocket, and pulls out a small device. I recognize it as the one that both RJ and I have for our _BuzzzTube_ accounts. She takes another deep breath, and presses the device onto my free hand.

 _"I can be your friend if you want, just to show I really mean it."_

I gasp, and unable to control myself, I crash backwards, falling off my seat and onto the floor. I feel my hood being knocked off, my head being uncovered before I fell completely. I take Vanellope with me, and she ends up falling on my chest, letting out a small _oof!_ as she lands.

We just look at each other, Vanellope scooting up to crawl closer to my face. I glance over at my hand, happy to see that her device is still clutched in my grasp, undamaged.

We look at each other a second more, and then awkward, I turn my face away from her. I don't dare sit up while she's still on me, I don't want her to get hurt.

"I mean…we can still be friends, right?" Vanellope gingerly asks. I don't answer, but I can feel her scooting back to my chest. Carefully, I sit up on the floor, and wipe a stray tear from my eye.

I desperately want to nod my head, but at the same time I can hear a tiny voice taunting me, saying Vanellope and I cannot be friends. That even though she said she has really forgiven me, she is just lying and will turn away from me as soon as she has the chance, that she's actually really the crazy, terrifying girl in my nightmares all along…

"Terrance, are you… _crying_?!"

I turn my head further away. I don't want to let her know, but I unexpectedly let out a small whimper, confirming her question. I glance sideways at her, only to find Vanellope looking back at me with even more concern.

I turn my head back and shake it, ignoring all the ugly tears blotching my face. Vanellope smiles, and gently places her tiny hand against my check.

"Hey, hey. It's okay. It's okay. I know you're scared about this, but I'm ready for everything that happens. And I won't turn back on my word, ever."

I keep crying, but I still can't muster the strength to nod my head. There still a part of me that is still uncertain about this deal, that keeps saying that Vanellope's a liar all along. I know it's not true, but I can't seem to unhear it in my mind.

"So can we be friends?" She asks me once again.

It's now or never. I have to make my choice now. I don't know what will happen next, but what I'm pretty sure is that if I refused, I might not have the chance for friendship once again.

Vanellope and I might become enemies for real then.

I can't let that happen.

I can't.

Gritting my teeth, I tone out the tiny voice in my mind, and nod my head fiercely at Vanellope's offer. Vanellope smiles, and extends her hand to me. "Friend?" She asks, cocking her head slightly.

Slowly, I extend my free hand, and carefully hold onto Vanellope's tiny one. I shake it once, and then, can't help myself, I pull Vanellope to my chest, hugging her. I feel her device slip out of my other hand, and I throw my other arm over her, crying the hardest she has ever seen me cry.

I can feel her snuggle her head up against my chest, and she starts to softly cry too. I let out a small moan, and I cry even harder, wrapping my arms tighter in our hug. At this very moment, all the fear I'd had of the little girl has completely disappeared, replaced with disbelief that she has actually forgiven me and become my new friend. It seems like a dream, something that could never, ever happen to me.

 _This is all just a dream, right?_ I think to myself. _Any moment now, I'll wake up, alone and cold in the Older Net, and trying to swat the absurd thought of Vanellope actually willing to forgive and be my friend. Yup, that's probably what's happening right now. I just need to wake up…_

 _Just need to wake up…_

"Terrance?"

I blink, and glance down at Vanellope, who is still hugging me tightly. My eyes widen for a moment as the reality sinks in.

 _No, this is not a dream._

 _Not a dream at all._

 _Vanellope has really forgiven me._

 _I really have been forgiven._

 _I really have._

 _I really have…_

"You okay?" She asks me.

Looking through my tears, I nod my head at Vanellope. _Yes._ I manage to mouth back at her, and we continue to hug each other tightly in silence, my mind still whirling with disbelief that how all this is possible; how Vanellope has accepted to become my friend for real; how she saw that, despite that I'm a viral clone, that I can be friends with her.

 _Maybe all of them are right after all._

 _Maybe…I'm not as bad as I thought._

 _Am I?_

I don't get my answer immediately, so I simply continue to hug Vanellope, hugging each other silently as long as the two of us can remember.


End file.
